Consumer Sentiment in U.S. Was Little Changed in April
Shoppers walk through the Menlo Park Mall in Edison, New Jersey, U.S., on Friday, Nov. 25, 2016. As Black Friday ushers in the year-end shopping rush, chains are touting larger price cuts than in 2015 -- a gamble that maintaining market share is worth squeezing margins.
Photographer: Michael Nagle/BloombergHousehold sentiment was little changed in April from the previous month, holding at an elevated level on optimism about personal finances, University of Michigan survey data showed.
An improved financial situation was reported by 50 percent of all respondents in both the March and April surveys, the most in at least 15 years. Americans continue to feel optimistic about a solid job market, with expectations of falling unemployment the most favorable since 1984, and the prospects of growth-boosting legislation. The university’s expectations measure remained divided along party lines, as 66 percent of Republicans expected the economy to improve, compared with only 18 percent among Democrats.