Getting your player ready...
NEW YORK — The Consumer Confidence Index rose this month to 57.9, according to the Conference Board, a private research group based in New York. That’s up from a revised 52.3 in March. Economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected 53.5. The April reading, released Tuesday, is the highest since September 2008’s 61.4, before the index headed into free-fall after the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers and the financial collapse. Still, the reading is well below the 90 that’s considered healthy. More consumers said they planned to buy autos or appliances, but plans to buy homes fell from March, suggesting the housing market remains uncertain. The Associated Press
