Consumer sentiment index sees increase

For the first time since the housing market collapsed, consumer sentiment is on the rise. According to Barron’s stocks editor Bob O’Brien on a Wall Street Journal segment, consumer sentiment increased as much as 12 percent in September. For the last year, consumer sentiment swung below a rating of 70, something not seen since the housing bubble burst of the early 1980’s. While most economists aren’t expecting a significant rebound in consumer confidence, O’Brien said that this unexpected news is a strong indicator of improvement.