AXIOS (Neil Irwin) - Consumer sentiment dips, especially among Republicans
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…