Recent readings of consumer confidence are revealing an increasingly bifurcated economy as households continue to grapple with the pandemic. The economy can be divided into two camps, the surveys show: one of scarcity where prices are rising and employment remains a challenge, and one of abundance where rising prices present a modest impediment to ... READ MORE >
Conference Board
Consumer confidence improves despite concern over omicron variant and inflation
Consumer confidence advanced in December for the third month in a row, driven by a strong labor market and recovery in spending since September, despite risks from the omicron variant and inflation. The headline consumer confidence index rose by 3.9 points to 115.8 on the month, the largest increase in three months and the highest since July, ... READ MORE >
Chart of the day: U.S. consumer confidence inches down
Consumer confidence inched down in November to 109.5, the lowest since March, as inflation continued to take its toll, according to a report from the Conference Board on Tuesday. Now, with the emergence of the omicron variant of the coronavirus, which is not reflected in the November data, consumer confidence is likely to come under even more ... READ MORE >
Chart of the day: Rising consumer confidence
Consumer confidence increased in October, snapping a three-month decline, as concerns about the delta variant subsided. The headline Consumer Confidence Index rose to 113.8, up from 109.8 in September, as consumers expressed a more buoyant view of the economy, according to Conference Board data released on Tuesday. The confidence could be seen in plans ... READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: Consumer confidence falls amid spread of the delta variant
The headline consumer confidence index released by the Conference Board on Tuesday declined to 113.8 in August from a downwardly revised 125.1 in July in the latest sign that the spread of the delta variant is beginning to weigh on the economy. The decline brings the index to the lowest level since February and is a reflection of consumers’ recent ... READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: Leading economic index points to robust expansion of industrial production
There are more signs of a recovery in the works. Both industrial production and the Conference Board’s leading economic indicator reported positive year-over-year growth rates in March, recent data shows. The leading indicator index from the Federal Reserve strongly implies a return to pre-pandemic levels of industrial production in the United States by ... READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: Leading indicator points toward economic reflation
The Conference Board’s leading economic indicator continues to point toward a reflation of the economy from the shock of the pandemic. The board's Leading Economic Index, released on Monday, showed a monthly gain of 0.5% in January to 110.3, continuing a string of increases. We expect a 6.1% rate of growth in the American economy this year. But even with ... READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: Consumer confidence bounces back
After hitting a six-year low in August, consumer confidence firmly beat expectations and rebounded in September. The Conference Board, a think tank, reported Tuesday that its consumer confidence index rose to 101.8 — a jump from 86.3 in August — and surpassed analysts’ forecasts of a slight increase. Confidence was much higher among those earning ... READ MORE >