Consumer sentiment: Final September reading

Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images

A shopper at a Walmart in East Peoria, Illinois.

Consumer sentiment was just under expectations in the final reading of September but the index remained near all-time high levels.

The University of Michigan’s monthly survey of consumers hit 100.1 in the final reading of September, below the 100.8 expected from economists polled by Reuters. Sentiment among consumers rose from August’s final reading, when sentiment hit 96.2.

“Consumer sentiment remained at very favorable levels in September, with the Index topping 100.0 for only the third time since January 2004,” Richard Curtin, chief economist for The University of Michigan’s survey, said in a statement.