US consumer confidence rises, German business confidence falls

US economic data on Tuesday were again mixed.

The Conference Board's consumer confidence index rose to a six-year high of 82.3 in January from 78.3 in February.

The S&P/Case-Shiller composite index of home prices in 20 cities rose 0.8 percent in January, the same rate as in December.

However, new home sales fell 3.3 percent in February and were down 1.1 percent from a year ago, the biggest year-on-year drop since September 2011.

Elsewhere on Tuesday, German business confidence deteriorated in March for the first time in five months as the Ifo institute’s business climate index fell to 110.7 from 111.3 in February.

In the UK, consumer price inflation fell to 1.7 percent in February, the lowest since October 2009. However, house prices rose 6.8 percent in January from a year ago, the biggest annual increase since August 2010.