Consumer Confidence Rises for Third Month

U.S. consumer confidence increased for a third month in January as rising employment and a mild winter left households with more money to spend on things other than fuel.

The University of Michigan’s preliminary index of consumer sentiment rose to 93.4 from 91.5 in December. The expectations index, which some economists consider an indicator of future consumer spending, increased to 81.5 from 80.2 last month.