By Giovanni Legorano

ROME--Italy's business confidence rose in February, reaching its highest level since January last year, while consumer confidence declined for the second consecutive month, the country's national statistics institute Istat said Friday.

The country's composite business-confidence index rose to 104 from 103.3 in January.

Istat said the index on manufacturing business--an important part of overall business confidence--rose to 106.3 from 105 the previous month.

Confidence in the retail trade and in the services sectors also rose in February, from January, while it remained flat at 123.9 in the construction sector.

The consumer confidence index dropped to 106.6 in February from 108.6 the previous month, Istat says.

-Write to Giovanni Legorano at giovanni.legorano@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 24, 2017 05:31 ET (10:31 GMT)