conference board

A private research group says that consumer confidence in February rose dramatically from last month to the highest level since a year ago when the U.S. economy's outlook started to look brighter before souring again. The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index now stands at 70.8, up from a revised 61.5 in January, helped by consumers' improving assessment of the job market. Analysts had expected a reading of 63. The February reading marks the highest level since February 2011 when it was 72.0.

Americans are gaining faith that the economy is on the upswing. The monthly Consumer Confidence Index surged to the highest level since April and is approaching a post-recession peak. The New York-based Conference Board said Tuesday that its Consumer Confidence Index rose almost 10 points to 64.5, up from a revised 55.2 in November.

Americans' confidence in the economy in November bounced back to its highest level since July, the latest sign that consumers are beginning to feel more cheerful about spending during the holiday shopping season. The Conference Board, a private research firm, says Tuesday that its Consumer Confidence Index rose 15 points to 56.0, the biggest jump since the 59.2 reading in July.

The Conference Board's Leading Economic Indicators Index rose 0.9% in October, outpacing increases in the previous two months and providing some grounds for hope of more robust economic growth to come.

Americans say they feel worse about the economy than they have since the depths of the Great Recession. And it's a bad time for a bad mood because households are starting to make their holiday budgets. It might not be all doom and gloom, though. Sometimes what people say about the economy and how they behave are two different things.

The consumer confidence index surged another 5.6 points to 70.4 in February - its highest level in three years - as Americans continued to express confidence that the economy will improve in the months ahead, the Conference Board said.

The Conference Board index of consumer sentiment unexpectedly jumped 4.2 points to 54.1 in November -- its highest level since June -- as Americans became slightly more optimistic about both the U.S. economy and the job market.

Consumer confidence rose in October, but still remains at historically low levels as Americans continue to be cautious and concerned about the economy%u2019s short-term outlook.

September's report by The Conference Board shows more signs of a U.S. economy that's growing at a crawl. The index rose 0.3% -- its third straight monthly rise. However that pace is too low to substantially lower unemployment.

June%u2019s 0.2% dip in the Leading Economic Index provided more evidence that the U.S. economic recovery has slowed, and that the slowdown will continue into autumn -- something that will complicate policymakers' task of lowering the nation's high unemployment rate.