Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 23, 1994                   TAG: 9402230129
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B-7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

CONFIDENCE FALTERS

NEW YORK - American consumer confidence fell in February for the first time in three months, the Conference Board reported Tuesday.

The group's Consumer Confidence Index fell to 80.8 from a revised reading of 82.6 in January. The index totaled 79.8 in December, 71.9 in November and 60.5 in October.

The research group attributed the decline to lower optimism about future business conditions, the outlook for jobs and the impact of severe winter weather on consumer spending and borrowing.

But the board said it would be premature to interpret the results as a sign that the American consumer's feeling of growing confidence in the economy is threatened.

"Although consumer confidence readings are somewhat less positive than previously, the decline is modest," said Fabian Linden, head of the Conference Board's consumer survey research unit.

The index, calculated on a base of 100, is derived from answers to questionnaires sent to 5,000 households nationwide each month. The questions seek insight into consumer behavior based on such topics as the local job outlook and plans to buy home appliances.