Americans said goodbye to 2005 on a more cheerful note, with consumer confidence and expectations for next year both picking up in December and holiday sales improving just before Christmas.
The late-year rise in consumer sentiment was a potentially hopeful sign for the economy, although analysts cautioned that confidence was still below levels in August.
The Conference Board, a private research group, said on Wednesday its index of consumer confidence climbed to 103.6 in December from 98.3 in November. Wall Street analysts had been looking for a more modest gain to 101.8.
"Consumer optimism climbed higher in December after soaring in November," said Steven Wood, chief economist at Insight Economics. "This followed huge back-to-back declines in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the associated surge in energy prices."
In addition, two reports on weekly chain store sales suggested last-minute shoppers allowed US retailers to breathe a sigh of relief after a lacklustre start to holiday shopping.
The season is key for retailers -- holiday shopping usually accounts for about a quarter of total annual retail sales.
The confidence data also indicated Americans were feeling more upbeat about the future, with the survey's expectations component rising to 91.6 from 88.4.
Much of it had to do with gasoline prices, which have eased significantly from all-time highs around $3 per gallon in early September after hurricanes Katrina and Rita sharply reduced refining capacity.
The national average last week was a more manageable 2.20 a gallon, according to the federal Energy Information Administration's survey of service stations.
That might explain why consumers were spending a little extra just before the holidays.
Redbook Research said its data, which is based on estimates from retailers, showed sales increased 3.7 percent in December compared to the same month last year, although they were flat from November.
"The Christmas week provided the type of sales gains many retailers had been waiting for to bring the month more into line with expectations," according to statement from Redbook Research.
But it said "not all companies shared the good fortune," adding that part of the success was based on aggressive promotional incentive, which might hurt profits.
A separate report from the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and UBS Securities LLC showed sales rising 2.8 percent last week, following a 2.4 percent gain a week earlier.
Consumers had a turbulent 2005, with the confluence of a brutal hurricane season and an accompanying spike in energy prices taking its toll on Americans' perception of their own economic well-being.
A better labour market also appeared to be making Americans more comfortable with the economic situation. The Conference Board said the percentage of Americans saying jobs were hard to get falling to 22.2 from 23.6.
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