Your Economy (No Politics)

[Bullwinkle]

Consumer sentiment steady in March
Friday, March 17, 2006 3:39:10 PM
http://www.afxpress.com


Consumer sentiment steady in March WASHINGTON (AFX) -- U.S. consumer sentiment held steady in March, according to media reports of proprietary research at the University of Michigan. The UMich consumer sentiment index remained at 86.7 for the second straight month. This was the lowest level since November

The flat reading caught economists by surprise. Analysts were forecasting a small increase to around 87.8 because of recent positive readings in the labor market, according the survey conducted by MarketWatch. Economists said the drop was a worrisome sign for consumer spending in the second and third quarter

The current conditions index rose to 106.2 points in March from 105.6 in the previous month. But the expectations index slipped to 74.2 points in March from 74.5 in February. This is the fourth-straight monthly decline in expectations

In a separate report, the Federal Reserve said industrial production rebounded in February.

http://www.fxstreet.com/nou/noticies/afx/noticia.asp?pv_noticia=1142609948-f05e0f08-27269