Odaily News The Conference Boards index of current consumer conditions rose to 135.9 in May. The index of consumers expectations based on their short-term outlook for income, business and labor market conditions surged 17.4 points to 72.8, but remained below the 80 threshold that typically signals an impending recession. Consumer confidence improved in May after five straight months of declines, said Stephanie Guichard, Senior Economist for Global Indicators at The Conference Board. This rebound was already evident before the May 12 U.S.-China trade deal was reached and has gained momentum since then. The monthly improvement was driven primarily by consumer expectations, as all three components of the expectations index - business conditions, employment prospects and future income - rebounded from April lows. Consumers became less pessimistic about business conditions and job opportunities over the next six months and regained optimism about future income prospects. Consumers assessment of the current situation also improved. Guichard added: As the stock market continued to recover in May, consumers outlook on stock prices improved, with 44% of consumers expecting stock prices to rise over the next 12 months (up from 37.6% in April) and 37.7% expecting stock prices to fall (down from 47.2% in April). (Golden Ten)