This from MSBNC (via Reuters):
U.S. consumer sentiment brightened slightly in November, helped by cheaper gasoline and a better jobs outlook, but came in below market expectations, a survey released Wednesday showed.
The University of Michigan’s final reading for November of its consumer confidence index was 92.8, up from 91.7 in October but below November’s preliminary reading of 95.5, according to market sources who saw the subscription-only report. Analysts on average had forecast the index would rise to 96.0.
Other news (from Newsday.com):
America's factories saw orders for big-ticket goods drop in October after brisk activity in the previous month, highlighting the sometimes bumpy recovery experienced by the nation's manufacturers.
The Commerce Department reported Wednesday that orders for durable goods -- costly manufactured products expected to last at least three years -- decreased by 0.4 percent in October from September.
However,
... there were some aspects of Wednesday's report that tempered their disappointment. Orders for durable goods in September jumped by 0.9 percent from the previous month, according to revised figures. That turned out to be considerably stronger than the government previously estimated.
And, shipments of durable goods for October -- a good barometer of current demand -- rose by a solid 0.6 percent. That compared with a 1.1 percent drop in September.
And some news a lot of us are looking for:
New claims for unemployment benefits last week fell by a seasonally adjusted 12,000 to 323,000, a three-month low, the Labor Department reported. That showing also was better than economists were expecting. They were forecasting a small rise in new applications. The report suggested that the labor market recovery is gaining traction.
Overall, a somewhat positive day on the economic news front. But if you just insist on finding something to worry about, there is this from Bloomberg
Dollar Falls to Record Versus Euro as ECB Remains Mum on Stance
Assuming this is the sort of thing worth worrying about, of course. And that itself is far from obvious.