US: CB Consumer Confidence Index improves to 131.4 in February from 121.7 in January

In its monthly publication, the Conference Board reported that the Consumer Confidence Index rose to 131.4 in February from 121.7 in January. "The Present Situation Index – based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions – improved, from 170.2 to 173.5," the CB said.

Key quotes

• The Expectations Index – based on consumers’ short-term outlook for income, business and labor market conditions – increased from 89.4 last month to 103.4 this month.
• The proportion expecting more jobs in the months ahead increased from 15.3 percent to 18.5 percent, while those anticipating fewer jobs declined, from 16.2 percent to 12.2 percent.
• Regarding their short-term income prospects, the percentage of consumers expecting an improvement rose from 17.7 percent to 20.0 percent, but the proportion expecting a decrease also increased, from 6.8 percent to 8.5 percent.