Consumer Confidence Reached Highest Level Since 2008 in October

Pre-storm numbers

Confidence among American consumers climbed in October to a more than four-year high, which may help drive bigger gains in the largest part of the economy.

The Conference Board's sentiment index increased to 72.2, the highest since February 2008, from a revised 68.4 in September, figures from the New York-based private research group showed today. The figure was projected to rise to 73, according to the median estimate of economists surveyed by Bloomberg.