ECONOMY

Consumer Confidence on the Rise: Americans’ confidence in their ailing economy showed signs of improvement in early June, suggesting that consumers may be ready to start spending again. The University of Michigan’s preliminary consumer sentiment index for June rose to 92.3 from 89.8 in May, analysts familiar with the report said. The index of current economic conditions rose to 105.4 from last month’s revised reading of 105.0. Consumer spending represents about two-thirds of U.S. economic activity. If rising consumer confidence is followed by a boost in purchasing, the economy could rebound from the current slowdown.