Consumer confidence rebounded in December, putting Americans in the mood to shop during the holiday season. The Conference Board’s index climbed to 96.5, from a revised November reading of 92.6, the New York-based private research group said Tuesday. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for 93.5. The combination of a strong job market and cheap fuel costs have buoyed households’ finances, giving them the wherewithal to purchase everything from cars to clothing and holiday gifts. Faster growth in wages would usher in bigger gains in confidence and probably provide another boost to consumer spending, the biggest part of the economy.