The HPS-CivicScience Economic Sentiment Index (“ESI”) is a “living” index that measures U.S. adults’ expectations for the economy going forward, as well as their feelings about current conditions for major purchases. The primary goal of the Index is to accurately measure movements in overall national economic sentiment and to provide a more sophisticated alternative to existing economic sentiment indices. Unlike other prominent indices that release consumer sentiment estimates infrequently, the HPS-CivicScience Index is updated in real time as responses are collected continuously every hour, every day. Large-scale cross-tabulation of survey responses and consumer attributes enable more granular analyses than are currently possible through prevailing measures.
Excerpt From the Latest Reading:
Consumer confidence recovered for the first time in six weeks, according to the HPS-CivicScience Economic Sentiment Index (ESI). The index increased by a total of 0.9 points, from a reading of 51.9 points on April 17th to 52.8 points on May 1st, while the three-day moving average ended at near highs of 53.9.
Four of the ESI’s five indicators rose during the two-week reading period. Consumer confidence in making a major purchase experienced the largest increase, rising by 1.8 points, from 51.5 to 53.3. While economic sentiment towards the housing market rose 0.6 points to 49.6, its highest level since January 9th. Confidence in personal finances rose by 1.6 points, from 64.6 to 66.2. Consumer sentiment towards the labor market increased slightly from 46.8 to 47.2, a 0.4 point increase, while confidence in the broader economy fell by 0.2 points to reach a reading of 47.4.
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