Consumer Sentiment in U.S. Rises as Household Finances Improve
U.S. Consumer Confidence Increases to 97.6 in March
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Consumer confidence rose in March as Americans were more satisfied than any time in 16 years with the current state of their finances and the economy, while remaining sharply divided along party lines about the outlook.
The University of Michigan said Friday that its preliminary index of sentiment increased to 97.6 from 96.3 in February. The median projection in a Bloomberg survey called for 97, with estimates ranging from 95 to 100. The index of current conditions jumped three points to 114.5, the highest reading since November 2000.