Recent Updates
- US: Consumer Credit, Wholesale Trade (Jun), Employment Situation (Jul)
- Global Sector PMI (Jul)
- International Surveys: WMA Investor Outlook Survey (Jul)
- Mauritius: CPI (Jul)
- more updates...
Economy in Brief
U.S. Consumer Credit Usage Increases
Consumer credit outstanding increased $9.0 billion during June...
Wholesale I/S Ratio Returns to More Typical Recessionary Levels in June
Wholesale inventory-to-sales ratio falls to 1.38 in June...
German IP on the Mend
June provides the last observation to complete second quarter data...
U.S. Initial Claims for Jobless Insurance Benefits Decline Sharply
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits fall to four-month low...
German Orders Surge in June
German orders made a spectacular comeback in June...
Viewpoints
Commentaries are the opinions of the author and do not reflect the views of Haver Analytics.
by Tom Moeller March 30, 2012
The University of Michigan's Index of Consumer Sentiment for March increased to 76.2 from 75.3 in February. The figure compared to expectations for a slight dip to 75.0. An improved reading of current economic conditions led the gain in last month's sentiment that was offset by a decline in consumer expectations. During the last ten years there has been a 60% correlation between the level of sentiment and the three-month change in real personal consumption expenditures.
The Reuters/University of Michigan survey data are not seasonally adjusted. The readings are based on telephone interviews with just- over 300 households. Data are in Haver's USECON database. The expectations figure is in Haver's AS1REPNA database.
| University of Michigan (Q1'66 = 100) |
Mar | Mid Mar |
Feb | Jan | Mar Y/Y |
2011 | 2010 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer Sentiment | 76.2 | 74.3 | 75.3 | 75.0 | 12.9% | 67.3 | 71.8 | 66.3 |
| Current Economic Conditions | 86.0 | 84.2 | 83.0 | 84.2 | 4.2 | 79.1 | 80.9 | 69.6 |
| Consumer Expectations | 69.8 | 68.0 | 70.3 | 69.1 | 20.6 | 59.8 | 66.0 | 64.1 |
