Consumer Confidence on the Rise

Consumer confidence increased for the second week in a row, according to the results of the Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index released Thursday. The Index rose to minus 44.8 in the period to Jan. 29—the highest since June—from minus 46.4 the previous week. Employment gains and post-holiday clearance sales also helped create a better buying climate for consumers, restoring public optimism about economic issues, the report showed.