Consumer Confidence (Conference Board) in United States

A consumer confidence indicator produced by the Conference Board that captures US households' assessment of current economic conditions and their expectations for the next six months.

It is compiled monthly from a survey of a representative sample of households. It blends a present-situation component and an expectations component into a composite index, with a base of 100 in 1985.

It reflects shifts in consumer mood and, being released at the end of the month, is a useful leading indicator of consumer spending, which accounts for roughly two-thirds of US GDP. A strong reading tends to support the dollar and equities.

The expectations component is heavily influenced by the labour market and petrol prices, so it is best read alongside other data; in addition, each release revises the previous figure and the series can be volatile.