The Consumer Sentiment Index in the US rose modestly from 76.9 in November to 80.7 (final) in December, the University of Michigan's latest Surveys of Consumers showed on Friday. This reading came in lower than the market expectation and the previous estimate of 81.3. Further details of the publication showed that the Current Economic Conditions Index rose to 90 from 87 and the Index of Consumer Expectations edged higher to 74.6 from 70.5. Commenting on the data, "while the rollout of the vaccine has been greeted as the beginning of the end, the end of the pandemic is still on the distant horizon in terms of a ... (full story)