The preliminary University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment for December checked in at 97.5 (Briefing.com consensus 96.8), unchanged from the final reading for November and in-line with the two-year average from January 2017 to December 2018.

The Current Economic Conditions Index increased to 115.2 from 112.3.

The Index of Consumer Expectations slipped to 86.1 from 88.1.

The key takeaway from the report is the observation that consumer attitudes around job and wage prospects are key to the consumer spending outlook and that some caution on that front may now be warranted as consumers recognize the goal of raising interest rates is to slow the pace of economic growth.