BRUSSELS (Alliance News) - Eurozone economic confidence rose for the ninth consecutive month in January, survey data from the European Commission showed Thursday. The economic sentiment index climbed to 100.9 in January from 100.4 in the prior month. But the reading is marginally below the expected level of 101. Industry confidence dropped unexpectedly 0.5 to -3.9 in January, resulting from managers' worsened assessment of the stocks of finished products. The score was forecast to improve to -2.9. The services confidence gained notably by 1.9 to 2.3, resulted from improved assessments of demand expectations and the past business situation, while the assessment of past demand was virtually unchanged. Likewise, consumer confidence improved markedly to -11.7, in line with flash estimate, from -13.5 in December, mainly driven by improving expectations about unemployment and the future general economic situation. The score came in above its long term-average for the first time since July 2011. Retail trade confidence increased to -3.4 from -5, thanks to improvements in all its three components, namely managers' present and expected business situation and their assessment of the volume of stocks. Meanwhile, confidence in the construction sector decreased strongly to -30.1 from -26.4, resulting from managers' markedly worsened assessment of order books and a less important downward revision of employment expectations. In January, the business climate indicator for the euro area remained virtually unchanged at 0.19 compared to 0.20 in December. Economists were looking for a score of 0.35. Managers' production expectations, their appraisal of the past production and their assessment of the level of both overall and export order books remained broadly unchanged. The level of the stocks of finished products was assessed more negatively, data showed.

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