NEW YORK (CNN/Money) -
Consumer confidence posted a healthy gain last week, rebounding from last week's dip to its highest level since February.
The ABC News/Money magazine Consumer Comfort Index rose four points to -13, on a scale of +100 to -100, for the week ending April 25, up from -17 the previous week. One-week boosts this large are unusual, and have happened just 54 times in 18 years of weekly polls
A separate survey by the Conference Board shows that consumer confidence soared to 92.9 in April from 88.5 in March, easily topping forecasts.
The ABC News/Money index rates three categories -- opinions about the national economy, the buying climate and personal finance -- and has averaged -9 since the weekly poll began in December 1985.
A closer look at the three components reveals:
Thirty-six percent of Americans rated the nation's economy as excellent or good, hardly an outstanding figure but the best since mid-February. The best figure in this category, 80 percent, was set on January 16, 2000, while the lowest level, 7 percent, occurred in late 1991 and early 1992.
In terms of confidence in the buying climate, 39 percent of respondents said now is a good time to buy things, matching the 18-year average despite rising food prices and record fuel prices.
Fifty-six percent of respondents described their own finances as excellent or good, up from 54 percent last week and one point below average.
Confidence, as usual, was higher among better-off Americans. The index stood at +16 among higher-income households and -52 among the lowest. Vast political differences also remained as consumer confidence for Republicans, +34, surpassed that of independents, -29, and Democrats, -38.
Improving confidence can have political implications, especially in an election year. President George W. Bush's performance ratings stabilized and his standing against Senator John Kerry improved in an ABC News/Washington Post poll last week, conducted after a period of difficulties in Iraq, but better economic views at home.
The ABC News/Money magazine Consumer Comfort Index represents a rolling average based on telephone interviews with a random sample of about 1,000 adults nationwide. This week's results are based on 1,000 interviews in the week ended April 25, 2002, and have an error margin of plus or minus three percentage points.
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