Consumer sentiment rose for the third consecutive month in July on strong exports and large-scale investment plans, the central bank said Tuesday. The composite consumer sentiment index (CCSI) stood at 106.8 this month, up 0.2 points from June, according to a survey by the Bank of Korea (BOK). The index has risen for three straight months since May and stayed over the 100-point mark over the three-month period. A reading above 100 indicates that optimists outnumber pessimists, while a figure below 100 suggests the opposite. The subindex for people's assessment of current economic conditions came in at 84 in July, down 2 points from a month earlier. The index for people's outlook for future economic conditions remained unchanged at 92 over the same period. "Despite rising inflation and the volatile stock market, strong chip-led exports, large-scale investment plans and expectations for income hikes pushed up consumer sentiment for the third consecutive month," the BOK said. South Korea's consumer prices rose 3.2 percent in June from a year earlier, marking the steepest growth since December