Data: University of Michigan ; Note: August 2026 number is preliminary; Chart: Neil Irwin/Axios Public opinion about the economy appears to be souring further this month, per the preliminary release of the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index. By the numbers: Overall sentiment fell 8% in the early days of August, after two consecutive months of improvement. - The index fell to 51, from 55.2 in July. That remains above the recent lows reached in the spring, when gasoline prices were soaring. - Inflation expectations were stable, with expected inflation over the next year ticking up to 4.3% and over the next five years unchanged at 3.3%. The intrigue: The steepest month-to-month drop in sentiment was among survey respondents…
Wholesale prices can offer an early look at where consumer inflation might be headed.
AI:Wholesale producer prices are showing signs of a potential slowdown, which may serve as an early indicator that consumer inflation could begin to grind lower in the coming months.Open
State of the Union: The index rose as the Iran War paused last week. The post Consumer Sentiment Rebounds From Record Low in June appeared first on The American Conservative .
Consumer sentiment rose in June from a historic low in May, according to the University of Michigan’s Survey of Consumers. The index rose to 49.5 from 44.8 in May, which was the lowest report since the survey began in November 1952. The survey’s inflation expectation declined from 4.8 percent expected next year in May to 4.6 percent in June, still indicating elevated inflation expectations in the general public. Five-year inflation expectations remain elevated at 3.3 percent, above the Federal Reserve’s 2 percent target and projections of 2.5 percent next year. The partial rebound in consumer sentiment coincides with the Trump Administration’s signing of a memorandum of understanding ending the war in Iran, as well as…Open
Americans will see higher prices for energy in the weeks ahead. They aren't likely to see the kind of broad economic slowdown that has accompanied oil price shocks in the past. The big picture: That's the implication of early market moves following the U.S. and Israeli strikes. It follows logically from a reordering of global energy markets over the last two decades. - Indeed, it's easy to imagine that this new geoeconomics of oil gave President Trump comfort in launching the attacks, grave risks notwithstanding. State of play: For the last half-decade, the U.S. has been a net exporter of oil, reflecting the fracking boom of the 2010s. - That doesn't mean that the U.S. imports no oil, nor that domestic consumers won't pay a price for…
PULSE POINTSWHAT HAPPENED: Consumer sentiment increased for the second month in a row, surpassing economists’ expectations, as inflation expectations dropped to 3.5 percent.WHO WAS INVOLVED: University of Michigan economists, American consumers, and the Trump administration.WHEN & WHERE: February 6, 2025, United States.IMPACT: The data suggests positive momentum for President Donald J. Trump’s economy, despite some […] The post Trump Economy: Consumer Confidence Up, Inflation Expectations Down. appeared first on The National Pulse .
PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: Consumer sentiment increased for the second month in a row, surpassing economists’ expectations, as inflation expectations dropped to 3.5 percent. WHO WAS INVOLVED: University of Michigan economists, American consumers, and the Trump administration. WHEN & WHERE: February 6, 2025, United States. IMPACT: The data suggests positive momentum for President Donald J. Trump’s economy , despite some concerns of softening in the labor market. IN FULL U.S. consumer sentiment has climbed for the second straight month, based on the latest figures from the University of Michigan. This uptick reflects receding concerns over inflation, with year-ahead inflation expectations down from four percent in January to 3.5…Open