Consumer confidence gets a boost

Consumer confidence gets a boost

money.cnn.com

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- A key index of consumer confidence rose in April to its highest this year with some expectations the economic downturn may be reaching a bottom.

The survey's expectations index jumped to 49.5 this month from 30.2 in March.

(visit the link for the full news article)

I honestly feel like this is a ploy or manipulation of the media in order to pacify the people. There is no way that "consumer confidence" is rising at such a high rate. Who are they surveying for these trends? They are surely not polling those who are currently layed off and looking for work. Every day I am hearing of new layoffs in my area. Though I am not sure what it is like in other places, I can assume that it is no better. Do they do this in order to try and instill a false confidence? Where did these numbers come from?

money.cnn.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 28-4-2009 by LeaderOfProgress]

"Consumer confidence gets a boost."

So does gullibility...

The group referenced in the OP article is the 'Conference Board'. Their April 20 report of leading indicators is definitely showing continued downward trends.

Check out the graph in this PDF: www.conference-board.org...

I really hate it I can't post external images...but this is a PDF.

[edit on 28-4-2009 by Dbriefed]

What we should be all asking is why are they pressing contary data? It doesn't make sense unless they are just setting us up some how. I am really trying to connect the dots on this.

reply to post by LeaderOfProgress



Consumer confidence gets a BOOST?!?!?!??!

Holly bajeezus

Economy must be fixed. I though for a while there, in Feb, that the messiah wasn't fulfilling his godly abilities to save the economy. But now that the markets have boosted, consumer confidence has boosted.. we MUST be on the path to recovery!

What else got a boost this month..

Oh .. Well..

My states unemployment.. at least they are confident about consuming though.

I still can not figure this one out. How can the downturn be "reaching a bottom" if the true layoffs have only just begun. We haven't even seen the layoffs from the Auto industry and the ripple effect it will have on the economy. Top that off with the whole "swine flue" ripple and I think we are far from the bottom. Why are they giving false hope?

Originally posted by pause4thought
"Consumer confidence gets a boost."

So does gullibility...

so true.....BUT ....remember they are trying to fool people into spending......if they can get people to BELIEVE that the economy is bottoming and turing around they are more apt to spend and think they are secure in their job (which they want to).......and then this can actually cause the economy to flatten it's dissent to a degree

there is a reason why the admin and MSM is spouting all this perception management and 2'nd half recovery hope........because to a degree wether it is true or not......all they need is for people to believe it.....and it "works"........now how long can they keep this up?

depends what lenghts they will go

one thing they could do is have the fed buy stock (futures especially) this could give the illusion that the bottom "is in"......

the big problem for them will be showing why the employment rate doesn't go back down....... but even unemployment numbers are tainted ...it is baked into the formulation

workers who were laid off 6-7-8 months ago.....that are still unempoyed begin to fall "out of the workforce" so they are no longer counted toward unemployed.........this would cause a LARGER and larger discrepancy going forward in the U3 (official unemployed date) and the broader U 6 data.........unless of course they stop producing the U 6 number LOL

another thing they can't control (out side of financial companies) is bad corportate earnings going forward......their think tanks are currently figuring out how to spin this to appease their advertisers and generate high ratings

Well taking into consideration the GDP figures that obviously can not be sugar coated anymore I say consumer confidence by butt.

Mortgage Applications Drop to Mid-March Low

www.cnbc.com...

GDP Down 6.1%, Reflecting Continuing Economic Woes

www.cnbc.com...

let the cheerleaders keep jumping up and down.

one thing they could do is have the fed buy stock (futures especially) this could give the illusion that the bottom "is in"......

You know just as well as I that the Fed cannot "own" anything like equity in a corporation (except the member banks of course..)

If the Fed is ever allowed to, as an entity, purchase shares, bonds, assets of any kind.. it will provide the grounds to so completely throw the economy into a tailspin dive. "To much meddling" .. it's bad enough what the government does to distort the true economy.. to have the fed doing this as well..... I honestly fear to even think what would happen. The markets are already so far detached from reality it's not even funny.. just look at price per share to earnings ratio on the S&P. Now imagine the Fed was propping the prices up even further!!

Sure.
I remember tuning into CNBC from time to time last year and hearing those Wacky Wall Street Pundits proclaim every month that the downturn in the real estate market may be coming to an end and recommending snatching up some houses while it's still a "buyers" market.
OR, perhaps that wild and crazy guy Warren Buffet telling everyone to get into the stock market because "he's in".
So, what's next? recommending investing in commerical real estate now because we're on the verge of a huge economic boom and you wouldn't want to miss out on that joy ride??

That is funny because now is surely not the time to buy a house. Maybe in a couple of years but not now. As long as the economy is in shambles and continuing its unpredictable behavior the making any big purchases like a house would be a fools buy. The housing market WILL NOT get better until the job market recovers. If the prices of houses go up in the near future it is because of manipulation not true cause and effect economic data.