#USConsumerConfidence US consumer confidence pulled back in December, with the Consumer Confidence Index declining to 104.7 from 112.8 in November ¹. This decrease indicates that consumers are becoming more cautious about their spending habits and economic prospects.

Breaking down the numbers, we see that:

- *Business Conditions*: 23.5% of consumers expect business conditions to improve over the next six months, while 15.2% expect them to worsen ².

- *Employment*: 17.8% of consumers expect fewer jobs to be available in the next six months ².

- *Consumer Confidence Index*: The index has been averaging 98.3 since February 1967, with a record high of 144.7 in May 2000 and a record low of 25.3 in February 2009 ¹.

These numbers suggest that while consumers are still optimistic about the economy, they're becoming more cautious and uncertain about the future.....