The final April estimates for the University of Michigan's Consumer Sentiment Index and Consumer Expectations Index became available today.

The final Sentiment Index reading was 92.7. This was higher than the preliminary April estimate of 90.8, but was lower than the 93.7 final number for March. During the past 12 months this indicator has read as high as 94.4 and as low as 88.2. The final April number is 1.4 above the midpoint of that range.

The Consumer Expectations Index is one of the eleven components of the Commerce Department's Composite Index of Leading Economic Indicators (LEI). The final number for April was 83.0, down from a revised March reading of 86.3. So, this month's expectations reading will be making a negative contribution toward the next determination of the LEI. During the past year, the expectations index ranged between values of 80.1 and 86.3. April's reading falls 0.2 below the average of the twelve-month range.

Byline: Lafferty (MF Merlin)