Consumer sentiment unexpectedly rose for the third consecutive month in early February, according to the University of Michigan’s preliminary assessment of the household sector.
The index of consumer sentiment rose to 57.3, upending expectations that the index would retreat after the prior months’ unexpected rise. The improvement was driven by better views of current economic conditions, with the index climbing 5.2 percent to 58.3. The gauge of expected conditions slipped slightly from 57.0 to 56.6.