Consumer confidence — What to know in markets Tuesday

Updated Mon, Dec 30, 2019, 2:05 PM

On an otherwise quiet day tomorrow, investors will get the latest read on consumer confidence Tuesday morning. Economists polled by Bloomberg expect consumer confidence in December to have edged up to 128.2, up from 125.5 in November.

Shoppers carry bags along Oxford Street in London, England, on February 9, 2019. February 15 sees the release of the first monthly retail sales figures of the year (for January) from the UK's Office for National Statistics. December figures revealed a 0.9 percent fall in sales from the month before, which saw a 1.4 percent rise widely attributed to the impact of 'Black Friday' deals encouraging earlier Christmas shopping. More generally, with a potential no-deal departure from the EU growing nearer and continuing to undermine consumer confidence in the UK, economy-watchers have little cause for optimism at present that any kind of turnaround for Britain's struggling retail sector might be on the horizon. (Photo by David Cliff/NurPhoto via Getty Images) — Shoppers carry bags along Oxford Street in London, England, on February 9, 2019. (Photo by David Cliff/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Credit Suisse economist James Sweeney expects a more modest rise in consumer confidence. “We expect consumer confidence to rise to 126.5 from 125.5 after four consecutive months of decline. Continued gains in the stock market, stable gasoline prices, and a healthy labor market should boost household optimism. Consumers have been resilient throughout the trade conflict, as confidence has remained high in a tight range for the past year, a stark comparison to the sharp deterioration in business optimism.”

Meanwhile, no earnings announcements are on the calendar for Tuesday.

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Heidi Chung is a reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter: @heidi_chung.