Consumer Confidence

Notice a certain confidence in your walk these days? U.S. consumers' confidence in the economy is at its highest level since May 2011, according to Gallup. But that's not a huge surprise. The weekly rating by the polling company has trended upward since this summer, and it has happened before. “Americans' views of current economic conditions are about the same as what they were at the comparable time in the prior two years,” Gallup said in a statement. The company said that in 2010 and 2011, confidence in the economy waned as the year progressed.

WASHINGTON -- Consumer confidence tumbled sharply this month to its lowest level since July amid a slew of discouraging economic reports and continued gridlock in the nation's capital, according to a leading barometer. The consumer sentiment reading compiled by Thompson Reuters and the University of Michigan fell to 72.3 in the preliminary reading for April, down from 78.6 last month, Reuters reported Friday. Economists had expected the reading to stay about the same. Instead, with recent data indicating a slowdown in the recovery and large federal budget cuts kicking in, consumers expressed more pessimism about the state of the economy and their long-term outlook.

Consumer confidence fell in May as Americans grew slightly more pessimistic about future job prospects and business conditions, according to a closely followed survey. The nonprofit Conference Board said its consumer confidence index fell to 60.8 in May — the lowest reading in six months — from a revised 66 in April. Economists polled by MarketWatch had forecast an increase to 67.5. The decline in the Conference Board index conflicts with another survey that showed an increase in consumer confidence in May because of a drop in gasoline prices.

WASHINGTON -- American consumers are showing remarkable resilience. Despite the weight of higher payroll taxes and pump prices, consumer spending rose a surprisingly strong 0.3% in February from the prior month, after adjusting for inflation, the Commerce Department said Friday. That prompted a number of economists to boost their forecast sharply for personal spending and economic growth for the first quarter. Moreover, a major indicator of consumer confidence edged up in March to its highest level since November, confounding analysts' projections that the University of Michigan survey would slip as consumers also took in the news of the new government spending cuts under sequestration.

Stocks and housing prices continue to rise, but consumers are not feeling all that good about the state of the U.S. economy. Confidence among U.S. consumers fell more than forecast in March as Washington's budget battle soured Americans' views of the economic outlook, Bloomberg News reported. The Conference Board's index declined to 59.7 from a revised three-month high of 68 in February, the New York-based private research group reported Tuesday. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had projected the March measure would fall to 67.5.

NEW YORK -- Investors Tuesday seemed to brush off Caterpillar Inc.'s declining profit outlook and continuing uncertainty over the European debt crisis.  Major U.S. stock indexes were up about 0.4% in midday trading on Wall Street, following a report showing home prices in the nation's largest cities rose 1.6% in July to their highest level in nearly two years. The Confidence Board, meanwhile, reported consumer confidence improved in September. The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 53 points, or 0.4%, to 13,612.

WASHINGTON -- Key private indexes of manufacturing and consumer confidence edged up in October, while the government reported an increase in construction spending in September as economic data released Thursday indicated moderate economic growth. All three readings were in line with analyst expectations, and came as new private and government data on unemployment pointed toward modest employment gains last month. The Labor Department will release the October jobs report on Friday, the last major economic data point before Tuesday's presidential election.

U.S. consumer confidence rose sharply this month as Americans turned a bit more hopeful about the employment picture. The Conference Board's confidence index, based on interviews with 5,000 households, jumped to 60.6 in January from 53.3 last month. This month's reading is the second-highest since the recession officially ended in June 2009. The only higher reading was 62.7 in May 2010 ? just before the economy hit a slowdown that persisted into early summer. A decent holiday spending season and the stock market's big fourth-quarter rally probably helped boost consumers' mood.

Consumer confidence continued to slip in January, falling to its lowest level since November 2011, the Conference Board said Tuesday. The group's monthly Consumer Confidence Index fell to 58.6 in January, down 8.1 points from the month before. “Consumer confidence posted another sharp decline in January, erasing all of the gains made through 2012," said Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators, in a statement. "Consumers are more pessimistic about the economic outlook and, in particular, their financial situation.

WASHINGTON -- Consumer confidence surged in February as the improving job market offset concerns about higher taxes and looming federal spending cuts, according to a leading private barometer. The monthly consumer sentiment index from Thomson Reuters and the University of Michigan rose 5.1% last month from January. The new reading of 77.6 also was up 3.1% from a year earlier. “Consumer confidence continued to improve in February due to expected gains in employment," said Richard Curtin, the survey's chief economist.

Stocks and housing prices continue to rise, but consumers are not feeling all that good about the state of the U.S. economy. Confidence among U.S. consumers fell more than forecast in March as Washington's budget battle soured Americans' views of the economic outlook, Bloomberg News reported. The Conference Board's index declined to 59.7 from a revised three-month high of 68 in February, the New York-based private research group reported Tuesday. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had projected the March measure would fall to 67.5.

WASHINGTON -- Consumer spending grew at a surprisingly strong pace last month, another encouraging sign that the economy may be gaining momentum despite the hit from higher taxes and gas prices and fears of government spending cuts. Retail sales rose 1.1% in February from the prior month, seasonally adjusted, thanks in large part to robust gains for cars and building materials and at Internet stores, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. The overall sales rate increase was the biggest in five months and about double what many analysts had forecast.

WASHINGTON -- Consumer confidence surged in February as the improving job market offset concerns about higher taxes and looming federal spending cuts, according to a leading private barometer. The monthly consumer sentiment index from Thomson Reuters and the University of Michigan rose 5.1% last month from January. The new reading of 77.6 also was up 3.1% from a year earlier. “Consumer confidence continued to improve in February due to expected gains in employment," said Richard Curtin, the survey's chief economist.

The Dow Jones industrial average is within striking distance of a new record. Still. In what has become a near-daily ritual, the world's best-known stock index inched closer to an all-time high Friday but stopped short once again. The Dow climbed 35 points to rise for the second straight week. That marked a fresh five-year high and the third-best close of all time. But whether it's the budget stalemate in Washington or the typical jitters that precede such milestones, the blue chips couldn't push into new high ground.

Fashion's Night Out, the star-studded initiative launched at the height of the recession to help generate more sales, is going on hiatus this year. Since starting in 2009, the annual effort brought out the glitterati in heaps as thousands of retailers and designers hosted celebrities and models at parties, showcases and special shopping events. By 2012, the affair had spread to 500 cities across the country - including Los Angeles - and 30 cities worldwide. Last year's festivities attracted singer/designer Victoria Beckham, stylist Rachel Zoe, actress Jennifer Hudson and more.

WASHINGTON - With the higher payroll tax starting to kick in, retail sales rose in January at their smallest rate in three months. Consumers pulled back a bit on their purchases of cars, clothes and home furnishings, the government said. Overall, retail sales ticked up a modest 0.1% last month from December, after gains of 0.5% in each of the prior two months. The subdued January performance was in line with consensus forecasts, as many analysts were expecting a drop-off in the growth rate after the expiration of the payroll tax holiday, which translates to about $40 less in take-home pay for the average worker every two weeks.

WASHINGTON -- Fears of the U.S. economy falling into another recession eased Friday as several reports, including the latest jobs data and readings on manufacturing, construction spending and consumer confidence, indicated the recovery was continuing. Economists and investors were heartened by the news, which suggested that growth accelerated at the end of last year. The reports -- a mix of federal and private data -- contrasted with Wednesday's government report that the economy contracted at a 0.1% annual rate in the last three months of 2012.

Consumer confidence continued to slip in January, falling to its lowest level since November 2011, the Conference Board said Tuesday. The group's monthly Consumer Confidence Index fell to 58.6 in January, down 8.1 points from the month before. “Consumer confidence posted another sharp decline in January, erasing all of the gains made through 2012," said Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators, in a statement. "Consumers are more pessimistic about the economic outlook and, in particular, their financial situation.