U.S. consumer confidence rises in March

BY Reuters | ECONOMIC | 03/28/23 10:19 AM EDT

WASHINGTON, March 28 (Reuters) - U.S. consumer confidence unexpectedly increased in March, but Americans are becoming a bit anxious about the labor market, a survey showed on Tuesday.

The Conference Board said its consumer confidence index rose to 104.2 this month from a reading of 103.4 in February. The cutoff date for the survey was March 20, about 10 days after the failure of two regional banks. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the index at 101.0.

"The gain reflects an improved outlook for consumers under 55 years of age and for households earning $50,000 and over," said Ataman Ozyildirim, senior director of Economics at The Conference Board.

The share of consumers viewing jobs as "plentiful" fell, while the proportion saying jobs were "not so plentiful" rose. Consumers' 12-month inflation expectations rose to 6.3% from 6.2% last month. (Reporiting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

In general the bond market is volatile, and fixed income securities carry interest rate risk. (As interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer-term securities.) Fixed income securities also carry inflation risk and credit and default risks for both issuers and counterparties. Unlike individual bonds, most bond funds do not have a maturity date, so avoiding losses caused by price volatility by holding them until maturity is not possible.

Lower-quality debt securities generally offer higher yields, but also involve greater risk of default or price changes due to potential changes in the credit quality of the issuer. Any fixed income security sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to loss.

Before investing, consider the funds' investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Contact Fidelity for a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus containing this information. Read it carefully.

fir_news_article