Market Insights: U.S. consumer sentiment rising quickly

U.S. Consumer Sentiment rising quickly

 

One of the indicators we pay close attention to is U.S. consumer confidence, as that is what drives consumer spending making up over two thirds of U.S. GDP.  It is also known to be a strong leading indicator.  One of the most followed confidence levels is the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment, which just recently posted its highest monthly reading since January of 2004.  This potentially points to an acceleration in consumer activity.

Source: BloombergBusiness

Another widely followed confidence level is from the Conference Board, who just published their January reading and it also hit a new recovery best.

Souce: BloombergBusiness

It seems as though gains in the labor market are helping to fuel this new confidence, however, we have yet to see this translate into increased spending.