Consumer Sentiment Rises in April

U.S. consumer sentiment in April rose versus the prior month to its highest level since January, but was slightly below analyst expectations for a final reading, a survey released on Friday showed.

The University of Michigan's final April reading on the overall index on consumer sentiment came in at 95.9, unchanged from the preliminary April reading. The final reading in March was 93.0. Analysts were looking for a final April reading of 96.0 according to a poll by Reuters.

The survey's final reading of the subindex on current conditions rose to 107 from 105.0 in March, while a read on final consumer expectations rose to 88.8 from 85.3. The median forecast of analysts polled by Reuters was for a reading of 108.3 for the conditions index and 88.1 for expectations.