Consumer sentiment improved sharply in early September, according to media reports on Friday of the Reuters/University of Michigan index. The consumer sentiment index rose to 70.2 from 65.7 in August.Although this is being reported as a "sharp increase" and above expectations, sentiment is still low - and this is just a rebound to the June levels.
Click on graph for larger image in new window.Consumer sentiment is a coincident indicator - it tells you what you pretty much already know.
This graph shows consumer sentiment and the unemployment rate. There are other factors impacting sentiment too - like gasoline prices - but until the unemployment rate starts to decline, consumer sentiment will probably stay fairly low.