Consumer

Consumer Sentiment Tumbles in February, Except for Republicans

Consumers’ sentiment toward the economy distinctly wavered in February for almost all groups across the board, with some disagreement across political parties, according to the latest data from the University of Michigan. The latest Index of Consumer Sentiment reading came in at 64.7 for February, falling a sharp 9.8% from January’s 71.7 reading. The Index… […]

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Consumer Confidence Continues Slide, Remains Above Recession Line

Consumer confidence continued to slide down in January, according to data from The Conference Board, however, experts feel the downtrend is not outside of the range it’s been in the past few years. “Consumer confidence has been moving sideways in a relatively stable, narrow range since 2022. January was no exception,” said Dana M. Peterson,… […]

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Consumer Sentiment Rises for Fifth Straight Month in December

The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index improved for the fifth consecutive month in December, rising about 3% to its highest reading in seven months. A surge in buying conditions for durables led Current Economic Conditions to soar more than 20%. Rather than a sign of strength, this rise in durables was primarily due to… […]

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Consumer Sentiment Turns Positive as Inflation Slows

With a recent interest rate decrease from the Fed and slowing inflation, consumers’ economic hopes saw a significant increase in September. Consumer sentiment rose 3.2% in September, from 67.9 in August to 70.1, according to the University of Michigan’s latest report. This is the second consecutive month of increase, following August’s rise of 1.5 points,… […]

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Consumer Sentiment Rises Slightly for the Third Consecutive Month

How are consumers feeling overall, and how does that translate to a real estate sale? The question is multifaceted, but asking it could be key to learning where buyers stand as the election fast approaches. The consumer sentiment index indicated yet another rise, for the third consecutive month, per the University of Michigan’s survey of… […]

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Consumer Sentiment Shifts From Gains to Slight Decline

A key skill to being a real estate agent is judging a buyer’s mood. So how are consumers feeling on a wide scale?  Consumer sentiment dipped slightly in the early days of October 2024, from 70.1 to 68.9, per the latest report for the University of Michigan. This monthly change comes in below expectations; median… […]

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Consumer Confidence Up Slightly in August Due to Economy and Inflation

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which measures American opinions of current economic conditions and their outlook for the next six months, rose in August to 103.3, from an upwardly revised 101.9 in July, while the Present Situation Index—based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions—improved to 134.4 from 133.1.  The Expectations… […]

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Consumer Confidence Reverses Course and Decreases in June

As consumers continue to see little relief from inflation—with the Consumer Price Index registering no change in May and the Fed again holding the line with no rate changes—confidence reversed course and fell slightly in June. Consumer confidence decreased from 101.3 in May to 100.4 in June, according to the latest data from The Conference… […]

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Consumer Confidence Sees Little Change in March

Consumer confidence saw little movement in March, falling slightly from 104.8 in February to 104.7, according to the latest data from The Conference Board. This follows a large drop in February, which was a shock after January’s two-year high. “Confidence rose among consumers aged 55 and over but deteriorated for those under 55,” said Dana… […]

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Consumer Sentiment Continues to Warm in February

Consumers’ feelings continue to thaw toward the economy this winter, according to the latest data from the University of Michigan. Consumer sentiment grew an astounding 0.8% in February, following a 13.1% leap in January and a sharp increase in December. “The fact that sentiment lost no ground this month suggests that consumers continue to feel… […]

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