CB: U.S. Consumer Confidence Edges Higher in March


   
Barani Krishnan
DTN Refined Fuels Market Reporter

   SECAUCUS, NJ (DTN) -- U.S. consumer confidence edged higher in March as an 
improved assessment of current conditions offset a slight decline in future 
expectations, the Conference Board said Tuesday (3/31).

   The Conference Board reported that its headline confidence index rose 0.8 
points to 91.8 this month. This was above the market expectation of 87.5.  The 
index for February was revised slightly to 91.0, according to the report. The 

   "Consumer confidence ticked up again in March, as a modest improvement in 
consumers' views of current conditions outweighed a slight downshift in 
expectations," Dana M. Peterson, chief economist at the Conference Board, said 
in a news release. "Three of five components of the Index firmed in March, and 
overall confidence improved modestly for a second month."

   The confidence index is a gauge of the household optimism that fuels roughly 
70% of the U.S. economy through personal spending and is closely watched by 
market analysts.

   Consumers' assessment of their current economic situation -- the present 
situation index -- rose 4.6 points to 123.3 in March. The expectations index, 
which gauges the short-term outlook, declined 1.7 points to 70.9, remaining 
below the 80-point threshold often associated with upcoming recession.

   The Conference Board added that write-in responses highlighted that surging 
costs from tariffs and the war in Iran remained primary sources of economic 
stress. Peterson also noted that while trade mentions decreased, comments 
regarding oil, gas, and conflict spiked during the survey period.

   The U.S. dollar index slid 0.513 points to 99.84, following the release of 
the Conference Board data.

    




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