Consumer sentiment continued its upward momentum in July, even as the war with Iran appeared to widen and gas prices once again climbed past $4 a gallon. The University of Michigan's final assessment of consumer sentiment for the month showed the headline index climbed by almost 12% from June's level to 55.2, slightly above an already-high preliminary reading of 54.4. "Consumers remain focused on pocketbook issues like purchasing power, while political or military developments remain more in the background." Consumer confidence, another measure of vibes tracked by the Conference Board, slid in July, with some consumers citing higher gas and grocery prices even as their mentions of geopolitics dropped. Meanwhile, data released Thursday showed that economic growth in the second quarter was slower than expected, though consumer spending was strong.