French consumer spending stable in May: INSEE

[PARIS] French consumer spending rose a slight 0.1 per cent in May after being flat in April, the INSEE national statistics office said on Tuesday.

The small rise was helped by a 0.3 per cent rise in energy expenses and a 0.2 per cent gain in car purchases - albeit at a slower rate than the 0.4 per cent increase seen the month before.

Separately, INSEE reported that producer prices remained weak, falling 0.5 per cent in May and 1.7 per cent over the year.

REUTERS