The phrase "a reading on confidence" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing an assessment or evaluation of someone's confidence level or the general sentiment regarding confidence in a particular context.
Example: "The latest survey provided a reading on confidence among consumers, indicating a slight increase in optimism."
Alternatives: "an assessment of confidence" or "an evaluation of confidence".
A reading on consumer confidence in February came in at 75.0, sharply below the 82.0 analysts had predicted.
A reading on consumer confidence was hardly encouraging, as the Conference Board said its July survey returned a reading of 46.6, down from 49.3 in June.
The disappointments came on the heels of a cautious advance as the major indexes shook off the mixed bag of earnings and the National Association of Homebuilders reading on confidence that came in at 14, its leanest reading in months.
Still, consumer confidence nationwide has been hit by the weak jobs market, as a reading on sentiment from the University of Michigan yesterday slipped to 94.4 in February from 103.8.
A disappointing reading on consumer confidence and second-quarter losses from commodity-related names like U.S. Steel and Valero Energy weighed on equity prices, sapping any enthusiasm for the latest S&P/Case-Shiller home price index.
A weak reading on consumer confidence sank markets Tuesday despite some good news on home prices and upbeat profit reports from some of the biggest retailers in the U.S. Investors focused on the Conference Board's February report on American consumers, with its monthly index falling sharply to 46 from 56.5 last month, disappointing analysts who had predicted a minor decline.
Wall Street stocks ended mixed Tuesday as concerns about the path of Hurricane Gustav sent oil prices higher and offset a better-than-expected reading on consumer confidence.
A stronger than expected reading on consumer confidence buoyed stocks in New York Tuesday and insulated the market from the likelihood of a bankruptcy filing for General Motors.
A better than expected reading on consumer confidence lifted the Dow, as the index gained 196 points, the S&P 500 added 23 and the Nasdaq saw the best advance, up more than 3%, or 58 points.
