British Consumer Confidence Increases the Most in 18 Years

U.K. consumer confidence jumped the most in 18 years in May as Britons became less pessimistic about their finances and the economy, a report by GfK NOP Ltd. showed.

An index of sentiment rose 10 points from April to minus 21, the highest in five months, the London-based research group said in an e-mailed report today. That’s the biggest increase since May 1993 and lifts the gauge from a level equal to that seen in the depth of the recession in February 2009.