(RTTNews) - Sweden's consumer confidence rose to 8.5 in January from 7.6 points in the previous month, indicating that households are somewhat more optimistic than normal, the National Institute of Economic Research showed Thursday. The expected reading was 8.8. The economic tendency indicator, which measures business and consumer confidence in the economic situation stood at 103.4, up from 101.2 in December. The index stood above the consensus forecast of 102. Further, the survey found that the confidence indicator for the business sector rose 15 points between the third and fourth quarters of 2009.