"Consumer confidence decreased in December, following a moderate decline in November. Expectations regarding job prospects and business conditions weakened, but still suggest that the economy will continue expanding at a solid pace in the short-term. While consumers are ending 2018 on a strong note, back-to-back declines in ‘expectations’ are reflective of an increasing concern that the pace of economic growth will begin moderating in the first half of 2019."

-Lynn Franco, senior director of economic indicators at The Conference Board, in a statement issued late last week. The Conference Board noted that, in its monthly survey of consumer sentiment, the index rating fell to 128.1 from 136.4 in November.