AN INDEX MEASURING US CONSUMER CONFIDENCE ROSE IN MARCH IS EVIDENCE OF A STRONG ECONOMY, A PRIVATE THINK TANK WAS QUOTED BY DPA AS SAYING ON TUESDAY. THE NEW YORK-BASED CONFERENCE BOARD ANNOUNCED THAT ITS CONSUMER CONFIDENCE INDEX JUMPED TO 107.2 IN MARCH FROM 102.7 LAST MONTH. IT IS THE HIGHEST LEVEL IN NEARLY FOUR YEARS. THE SURVEY IS BASED ON A SAMPLE OF 5,000 US HOUSEHOLDS. THE PRESENT SITUATION INDEX ROSE TO 133.3 FROM 130.3 ON IMPROVED VIEWS ON THE LABOUR MARKET AND THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE ECONOMY. 'THE IMPROVEMENT IN CONSUMERS' ASSESSMENT OF PRESENT-DAY CONDITIONS IS YET ANOTHER SIGN THAT THE ECONOMY GAINED STEAM IN EARLY 2006,' SAID LYNN FRANCO, DIRECTOR OF THE CONFERENCE BOARD CONSUMER RESEARCH CENTRE. THE EXPECTATIONS INDEX, WHICH MEASURES VIEWS ON HOW THE ECONOMY WILL PERFORM BEYOND THE NEXT SIX MONTHS, INCREASED TO 89.9 FROM 84.2. 'CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS, WHILE IMPROVED, REMAIN SUBDUED AND STILL SUGGEST A COOLING IN ACTIVITY IN THE LATTER HALF OF THIS YEAR,' FRANCO SAID. --SP 21 33 LOCAL TIME 18 33 GMT
