By Joshua KirbyU.S. consumer confidence continued to improve in July, and more than expected, as Americans began to hope for avoiding a recession in the coming months. Private research group The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index increased to 117.0 in July from an upwardly revised 110.1 in June. Economists polled by The Wall Street Journal had expected the index to rise to 112.0. The expectations-specific index rose to 88.3 in July from 80.0 in June, suggesting consumers no longer anticipate a recession in the U.S. economy. The Board said it nevertheless expects a recession before the end of the year, but noted the better mood among consumers.

Source: Wall Street Journal July 25, 2023 14:34 UTC