Usa: consumer confidence grows to 59,5 from 57,6 in June

The consumer confidence index in the United States stood at 59,5 points in July (the consensus stopped at 56), recording an increase from 57,6 points in June. This was announced by the Conference Board which then underlined how, again in July, the sub-index on the competitive situation totaled a drop to 35,7 points from 36,6 in June. The expectations index, on the other hand, rose to 75,4 points from 71,6 in the previous month. Consumer morale is clearly improving, betraying the expectations of analysts and financial markets which predicted instead a substantial deterioration. "Consumers remain apprehensive about the future, but this month's data shows that some of those fears are behind us," said Lynn Franco, director of the Conference Board's research center.