national: Consumer Confidence and Comfort Levels See Large Drop in February
- 03/02/10 12:19 AM
The consumer confidence index fell to 46 in February from an upwardly revised 56.5 in January. Economists had anticipated a reading of 55. The index was benchmarked at 100 in 1985, a year chosen because it was neither a peak nor a trough in consumer confidence. Why such a big drop? Some say volatility is expected at economic turning points. "One report does not a trend make," said Carl Riccadonna, senior economist for Deutsche Bank in New York. "This is a yellow flag but not a critical development to be sure. At economic turning points, we often show volatile fits and (0 comments)