American consumers shrugged off the Iran war and rising gas prices in March, pushing the Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index up to 91.8 from 91.0 in February — well above the 87.9 reading economists surveyed by Bloomberg had expected.
It was the second consecutive monthly increase and a sharp rebuke to forecasters who had predicted the combination of military conflict in the Middle East and surging energy costs would send confidence tumbling. The survey period ran from March 1 to 24, capturing the bulk of the initial war shock — meaning confidence didn’t merely hold steady through the conflict but actually firmed.
The gains were…
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