• Consumer confidence continued to strengthen following August's slump.
• US Dollar Index stays in daily range above the 99 mark.

According to the University of Michigan's (UoM) Surveys of Consumers' final results for September, consumer confidence continued to improve with the Index of Consumer Sentiment rising to 93.2 from 89.8 in August, compared to analysts' estimate of 92.

Commenting on the data, "Consumer sentiment continued to post small increases throughout September due to more favorable income trends, especially among middle income households," said Surveys of Consumers chief economist, Richard Curtin. "The overall trends in the Sentiment Index remain quite favorable, but show signs of a slow erosion."

The US Dollar Index largely ignored the upbeat reading and was last down 0.06% on the day at 99.15.