4 Confidence Charts - March 2011

Here are four charts reflecting confidence survey readings.  These are from the SentimenTrader.com site.

I find these charts valuable as they provide a long-term history of each survey, which is rare.

Each survey chart is plotted in blue, below the S&P500:

(click on each chart to enlarge image)

Conference Board Consumer Confidence, last updated 2-22-11:



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University of Michigan Consumer Confidence, last updated 3-11-11:



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Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index (formerly the ABC News Consumer Comfort Index) last updated 3-3-11:



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NFIB Small Business Optimism, last updated 2-11-11:



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As one can see, these charts continue to show subdued readings, especially when viewed from a long-term perspective.

These charts should be interesting to monitor going forward.  Although I don’t believe that confidence surveys should be overemphasized, they do help to delineate how the economic environment is being perceived.

A Special Note concerning our economic situation is found here
SPX at 1304.28 as this post is written