Confidence among US consumers unexpectedly climbed to a five-month high in January as optimism about the economy and labor market improved

Confidence among US consumers unexpectedly climbed to a five-month high in January as optimism about the economy and labor market improved. The Conference Board's index advanced to 80.7 from a revised 77.5 in December that was weaker than initially estimated. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for a reading of 78. Millan Mulraine, deputy head of U.S. research and strategy at TD Securities says You'd probably want to see these numbers being sustained over the next few months for you to believe that it will be reflected in spending habits. (VIEW LINK)