Stifel: Gas Prices Help Household Spending

There is an ongoing debate as to whether lower gas prices have a positive impact on consumer spending. The debate isn’t whether it will leave consumers with more cash, it's what they will with that cash.

Stifel doesn't see it as black and white, declaring that "gas prices continue to help household spending / budgets." The statement is based on a Stifel survey on wage expectations, in which 44 percent of consumers indicated that gas prices have no negative impact on their spending and budgeting decisions. The number is up 15 percent year-over-year and the highest reading since 2004.

According to the AAA, the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline on January 20 is $2.054, down 37 percent from a year ago and down 15 percent from a month ago.