Consumer Comfort Index Soft

The surge in the monthly consumer confidence earlier this week sits in contrast to continued softness in the weekly consumer comfort index which, though edging 3 tenths higher, is still soft at 41.6 in data for the September 25 week. This index had been trending at the 44 level through most of the year. The bi-monthly consumer sentiment index, the latest edition to be released tomorrow, has been sitting somewhere between the confidence and comfort reports, steady at moderate strength.