The Conference Board US Consumer Confidence Index Rises in February

On Tuesday, The Conference Board, a non-partisan, not-for-profit think tank founded in 1916, released the results of its Consumer Confidence Survey for February.

• The Consumer Confidence Index increased 2.2 points in February, rising to a reading of 91.2 (1985=100) from an upwardly revised 89.0 in January.
• The Present Situation Index—based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions—fell 1.8 points to a reading of 120.0.
• The Expectations Index—based on consumers’ short-term outlook for income, business, and labor market conditions—rose 4.8 points to a reading of 72.0.

The cutoff date for preliminary results was February 17.

In a statement accompanying the report, Dana Peterson, Chief Economist at The Conference Board, said:

“Confidence ticked up in February after falling in January, as consumers’ pessimistic expectations for the future eased somewhat. Four of five components of the Index firmed. Nonetheless, the measure remained well below the four-year peak achieved in November 2024 (112.8).

Consumers’ write-in responses on factors affecting the economy continued to skew towards pessimism. Comments about prices, inflation, and the cost of goods remained at the top of consumer’s minds. Mentions of trade and politics also increased in February. Labor market mentions eased a bit in February, while observations about immigration increased somewhat.”