URE - Consumer Confidence Rose In February But Home Construction Fell In December
By Robert Hughes
The Consumer Confidence Index from The Conference Board rebounded in February, increasing by 9.7 points to 131.4. The index is constructed so that it equals 100 in 1985. The February gain follows three consecutive monthly declines from November through January. The composite index is 6.5 points below the recent high of 137.9 in November and 13.3 points below the all-time record of 144.7 in May 2000 (see bottom chart).
Both components of the index posted gains for the month. The present-situation component rose 3.3 points to 173.5, hitting a new cycle high