Consumer sentiment in U.S. rose in June to five-month high

WASHINGTON – Consumer confidence climbed in June to a five-month high as an improving job market boosted Americans’ attitudes about the world’s largest economy.

The University of Michigan said Friday that its final index of sentiment increased to 96.1 during the month, exceeding all estimates in a Bloomberg survey, from 90.7 in May. The median projection of economists polled called for the measure to hold at its preliminary June reading of 94.6.

A stronger job market, near-record stock prices and stabilizing fuel costs are making households more upbeat about their financial situations. Sustained hiring that’s accompanied by faster wage growth would provide an additional boost to consumer spending after a report Thursday showed the biggest gain in purchases since mid-2009.

“Consumers are feeling confident about their job and income prospects,” said David Berson, chief economist at Nationwide Insurance in Columbus, Ohio, who predicted the sentiment index would rise to 95.5. “Consumer spending is going to look pretty good in the second quarter.”

- Advertisement -

The June reading was the second-highest since January 2007. The 5.4 point increase from May was the largest since December 2013. Estimates in the Bloomberg survey of 59 economists for June ranged from 93 to 96.

Stocks climbed, rebounding from two days of declines, as Greek debt talks continue and Nike Inc. rallied after posting better-than-estimated earnings. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index advanced 0.1 percent to 2,103.96 at 10:24 a.m. in New York.

Current conditions

The survey’s final June index of expectations six months from now increased to 87.8 from 84.2 in May. The preliminary reading was 86.8. The gauge of current conditions, which measures Americans’ views of their personal finances, rose to 108.9 from 100.8 last month. The advance index for June was 106.8.

Americans expected an inflation rate of 2.7 percent in the next 12 months, down from 2.8 percent in May, the report showed. Over the next five to 10 years, they also anticipated a 2.6 percent rate of inflation, matching the lowest since 2002, compared with 2.8 percent in the previous month.

The Michigan report corroborates the Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index, which saw a turnaround in sentiment in the past two weeks after dropping almost 8 points from an eight-year high in mid-April. Attitudes about whether it was a good time to spend increased by the most since April 2013.

Improved confidence and more employment opportunities may help explain why consumer spending is perking up. Purchases increased 0.9 percent in May, the biggest gain since August 2009, Commerce Department figures showed Thursday. Retail sales increased 1.2 percent last month following a 0.2 percent advance in April.

’Driving force’

“Consumer spending will remain the driving force in the economy,” Richard Curtin, director of the Michigan Survey of Consumers, said in a statement. “During the first six months of 2015, consumers more favorably assessed their current finances as well as their future financial prospects than in the first half of any year since 2007.”

Payrolls climbed in May by the most in five months, the latest Labor Department data show. Hourly pay increased 2.3 percent compared with May 2014, at the peak of the narrow range it’s tracked since the end of 2009.

The Michigan survey showed more Americans in the first half of the year viewed buying conditions as favorable, with attitudes about the purchase of durable goods such as automobiles the brightest since 2007.

“The record levels of buying attitudes have been based on the appeal of low prices and low interest rates without any upward lift from the view that it was better to borrow in advance of expected interest-rate increases,” Curtin said.

Gasoline prices

Americans are also seeing prices level off at the gas pump. The nationwide average cost of a gallon of gasoline is holding close to $2.80 after advancing about 40 cents a gallon since early April, according to motoring group AAA.

Household spending in the first quarter was a little better than previously reported, making the slowdown in gross domestic product during the three months less daunting than originally estimated. GDP fell at a 0.2 percent annualized rate in the first quarter, revised from an earlier reading of a 0.7 percent drop, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

In a press conference following the June 17 Federal Open Market Committee meeting, Fed Chair Janet Yellen said she still wants to see more “decisive” evidence of a lasting turnaround in the economy to justify an increase in the benchmark interest rate for the first time since 2006.

In their published economic projections, four policy makers revised their expectations down from two increases this year to just one as the central bankers wait to feel “reasonably confident” that inflation will move back to their 2 percent target before beginning the rate hike.

No posts to display