[REVISION HISTORY]

US consumer sentiment trends

Updated 10 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-11 15:13 UTC → 2026-09-11 19:54 UTC · added ~~removed~~

US consumer sentiment experienced volatility during the summer of 2026. In July, the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index reached a five-month high of 55.2, up from 49.5 in June. This increase was accompanied by a decrease in one-year inflation expectations to 4.2 percent, despite rising gasoline prices linked to US-Iran tensions. Preliminary data for August indicated a decline in confidence, with the University of Michigan index falling to 51.0, a 7.6% decrease from the previous month. This drop was sharper than the 55.0 anticipated by economists, marking the end of a two-month period of improvement. The downturn was driven by concerns over worsening inflation and deteriorating business conditions. One-year inflation expectations rose slightly to 4.3 percent, while long-term expectations remained steady at 3.3 percent. This decline was particularly pronounced among older consumers, lower-income individuals, and those without college degrees. By late August, The Conference Board reported that the U.S. consumer confidence index fell to 89.4, its lowest level in seven months. This data revealed a divergence between current and future outlooks: while the Present Situation Index rose to 121.2, marking its first improvement in four months, the Expectations Index dropped 5.8 points to 68.2. In early September, the downward trend continued as the University of Michigan’s preliminary index fell further to 47.8 from August’s 51.7, underperforming analyst expectations. This decline was fueled by gasoline prices reaching their highest levels ever for the month of September, alongside ongoing trade tensions and conflict involving Iran. Consequently, one-year inflation expectations rose to 4.6 percent, and long-term expectations increased slightly to 3.4 percent. For the first time since 2023, a majority of consumers anticipate the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates within the next year, while economic outlook expectations hit their lowest levels since July 2022.

Versions

Only revisions since CLSTR began indexing content versions appear here. Select a version to see what changed compared to the one before it.