02:45 PM EDT, 04/30/2024 (MT Newswires) -- The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index fell to 97.0 in April from a 103.1 reading in March due to declines in both the present situation and expectations indices.

The Conference Board said that April reading was the lowest since July 2022 and consumers were less certain about the current employment situation and more concerned about future conditions. Confidence was higher among younger survey respondents and older respondents.

The FHFA home price index posted a 1.2% gain in February after a 0.1% decrease in January. The index was 7% higher than a year ago.

Released at the same time, S&P Case-Shiller reported a 0.6% February home price gain after a 0.1% decline in January. The index was up 6.4% year over year, faster than the 6% growth rate in the previous month.

The Dallas Fed's services reading fell to negative 10.6 in April from negative 5.5 in March. Other regional services data already released have been mixed ahead of the ISM's services reading on Friday.

The employment cost index rose by 1.2% in Q1 after a 0.9% gain in Q4, with wages and salaries up 1.1%, the same pace as in the previous quarter, and benefits up 1.1% after a 0.7% gain. The year-over-year rate remained at 4.2% and slowed to 0.8% after adjustment for inflation.

The Chicago PMI declined to 37.9 in April from 41.4 in March. Other manufacturing data already published have indicated contraction in the sector. The ISM's national index is scheduled to be released on Wednesday.

Redbook reported that US same-store retail sales were up 5.5% year over year in the week ended April 27, faster than a 5.3% rise in the prior week due to sales of seasonal items and consumer goods, though harsh weather impacted sales in parts of the US.