CONSUMER CONFIDENCE JUMPS IN MAY, DEFYING TRADE WAR GLOOM

Consumer confidence took a leg upward in May, despite forecasts for a more anemic reading as the trade battle between the U.S. and China weathers on. Yahoo Finance reports:
Consumers remain optimistic in the face of a volatile market and a widening trade dispute between the U.S. and China, according to new data from The Conference Board, which rose unexpectedly in May.
The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index, a key metric of consumers’ willingness to keep spending, jumped to 134.1, up from April’s reading of 129.2. A consensus forecast of economists polled by Bloomberg saw the index rising to 130, up from the prior reading of 129.2.
“Consumer Confidence posted another gain in May and is now back to levels seen last Fall when the Index was hovering near 18-year highs,” said Lynn Franco, Senior Director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Crucial Coronavirus Cleaning Tips: How To Keep Your Home Germ-Free During the Pandemic

Image
How long the virus survives—and where it thrives The novel coronavirus can survive on surfaces anywhere from hours to days. The latest information is that it can last 24 hours on cardboard, 48 to 72 hours on plastic, and 48 to 72 hours on stainless steel, says  Dr. Reuben Elovitz , internist and CEO at  Private Health Dallas , who cited a recent study from the  New England Journal of Medicine . The duration also depends on a few other factors, like temperature and whether a surface is prone to holding moisture. “Wooden handles, for example, are more likely to be damp than metal under normal conditions—and damp conditions can enable many infectious agents to thrive,” explains molecular biologist  Dr. Tracey Evans . “ Furthermore, a warm room is more favorable for many pathogens than a cold one.” Regardless of what kinds of temperatures and surfaces you have in your home, there are things you can do to keep these dangerous pathogens at bay. Ditch germs at ...
Read more

7 Ways to Create a Neighborly Front Yard

Image
1. Shade the Sidewalk Consider placing a tree where it will shade the sidewalk to help create a pleasant environment and encourage walking and visiting among neighbors. Trees provide rain and sun protection, and temperature differentials of 5 to 15 degrees are felt when walking on tree-canopied streets. In urban areas trees help mitigate the  heat-island effect  and provide a connection to nature. Most cities require permits for adding trees to a parkway (or hell strip), but permits are not usually required for planting on private property. Sean Papich Landscape Architecture 2. Set the Fence Back Placing a low fence or wall back a few feet from the edge of the sidewalk allows room for planting, and plants provide visual interest for pedestrians. In addition to cheerful  daisies  like these, velvety plants such as  lamb’s ears  ( Stachys byzantina ;   USDA zones 4 to 9;  find your zone ) would work well. June Scott Design ...
Read more

What’s New in Outdoor Lighting Design

Image
Linear Lighting There’s a trend toward the more extensive integration of lighting with modern hardscape elements. Sleek, minimalist linear step lighting illuminates a path while keeping light fixtures hidden from view. It also enables you to more easily highlight an architectural feature, such as stairs or a freestanding wall.  ZEN Associates, Inc. Laurie Ghielmetti Floating Structures Another trend is placing lights beneath landscape structures, creating the illusion that they are floating-- light is hidden to visually float steps, benches, bridges and other outdoor landscape elements. dSPACE Studio Ltd, AIA BEGA North America Sleek, Modern Fixtures A big trend is to use path lights that look more architectural, rather than the traditional flower or mushroom shapes. Pistils Landscape Design + Build Nightfall Landscape Lighting Low-Voltage Lighting While low-voltage lighting is not necessarily a new concept,...
Read more