• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, August 21, 2014

In another telling signal that the global ad expansion may be running out of steam, a global tracking study of the confidence of marketers to increase their budgets declined to one of its lowest recent points in August. The data, released this morning by London-based ad market tracker and research database WARC, indicates that marketer confidence slid worldwide and in each of the major regions it tracks -- although European confidence declined at a slower rate than the rest of the world.

WARC’s global marketer confidence index declined to a 54.4 in August -- down 2.2 points from July and 1.2 points from August 2013.

Marketer confidence currently is highest in Europe, with an index of 56.0 in August, “suggesting improving conditions overall despite a 1.2 point fall from the previous month,” WARC said.

WARC’s analysts added that relative “optimism is also high in the Americas,” despite the fact that it’s declining and dropped 2.5 points from July and 3.1 points from a year earlier.

“Robust trading conditions aided the positive outlook in both Europe and the Americas, with index readings of 56.0 and 55.2 respectively showing marketers remain confident about their business conditions,” WARC said, adding: “Indicators are also positive for Asia Pacific, where the index registered 51.8. The global index for trading conditions, which factors in these regions, alongside Africa and the Middle East, stood at 56.8 this month.”