Economic Expectations Drive U.S. Consumer Confidence Higher -- 3rd Update
A measure of U.S. consumer confidence rose in January, buoyed by consumers' expectations about the economy.
The Conference Board said Tuesday its measure of U.S. consumer confidence rose to 125.4 in January from 123.1 in December. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had expected a January reading of 123.0.
The increase in the Conference Board measure was fed by increased optimism about the economy, as the expectations index rose to 105.5 in January from 100.8 last month. Consumers' view of current conditions decreased slightly to 155.3 from 156.5.
"Consumers remain quite confident that the solid pace of growth seen in late 2017 will continue into 2018," said Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators at the Conference Board. "Expectations improved, though consumers were somewhat ambivalent about their income prospects over the coming months, perhaps the result of some uncertainty regarding the impact of the tax plan."
The rise in the Conference Board's measure comes after a decline in December.
Write to Sarah Chaney at sarah.chaney@wsj.com
A measure of U.S. consumer confidence rose in January after a December decline, buoyed by consumers' expectations about the economy.
The Conference Board said Tuesday its measure of U.S. consumer confidence rose to 125.4 in January from 123.1 in December. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had expected a January reading of 123.0.
The increase in the Conference Board measure was fed by higher consumer expectations about the economy, as the expectations index rose to 105.5 in January from 100.8 last month. Consumers' view of current conditions decreased slightly to 155.3 in January from 156.5 in December.
The increase in consumer expectations reflects the strength of the stock market and tax reform, said Andrew Hunter, economist at Capital Economics, in a note to clients. Solid consumer confidence suggests consumption growth will begin the year on a strong note, he said.
"Continued strong jobs growth and the boost to incomes from the tax cuts set to be implemented in the coming weeks should ensure that consumption continues to expand at a healthy pace over the first half of this year," Mr. Hunter said.
Economists follow sentiment surveys on the basis that an increase in optimism should translate into increased consumer spending. Recently, consumer spending has helped lift economic output, expanding at a 3.8% annual rate in the fourth quarter, according to Commerce Department figures.
Consumers' strong confidence comes as the unemployment rate is parked at 17-year low and the economy continues to add jobs at a steady pace.
The percentage of Americans saying jobs were "plentiful" increased in January to the highest level since 2001 and well outpaces those saying jobs are "hard to get," though the latter group saw a slight increase in January to 16.4% from 16% in December.
Business conditions were described as "good" in January by 34.9%, down from 35.8% a month earlier.
The rise in the Conference Board's measure comes after a decline in December and recent moderation in a separate sentiment measure put out by the University of Michigan.
Some areas of concern remain. The percentage of consumers expecting an improvement in income decreased to 20.4% in January from 22.7% a month earlier.
"Expectations improved, though consumers were somewhat ambivalent about their income prospects over the coming months, perhaps the result of some uncertainty regarding the impact of the tax plan," said Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators at the Conference Board. "Overall, however, consumers remain quite confident that the solid pace of growth seen in late 2017 will continue into 2018."
Write to Sarah Chaney at sarah.chaney@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
January 30, 2018 12:48 ET (17:48 GMT)