The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan’s final October reading on the overall index on consumer sentiment finished at 86.9, the highest level since July 2007, up from 84.6 at the end of September. “The gains in confidence over the past three months point toward improved holiday spending by consumers,” survey director Richard Curtin said in a statement. The survey’s gauge of consumer expectations rose to 79.6 from the preliminary 78.4 reading and the 75.4 at the end of September, topping the expected 78.2.