University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index Hits All-Time-Low

Even if you know people who are having to struggle, they probably aren’t going to share the details of their lives with you. Investing.com — Stocks rose on Thursday but the indexes are still headed for a down month as September draws to a close. The Michigan survey, however, also showed policymakers have more work to do on the inflation front. Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Morningstar Index (Market Barometer) quotes are real-time.

• He is a CFA charterholder as well as holding FINRA Series 7, 55 & 63 licenses.
• Still, though, only 16.7% believed that unemployment will pose greater problems for the economy than inflation in the upcoming year; this is the lowest reading since November 2022.
• The survey is now conducted by the Survey Research Center and consists of at least 600 interviews posed to a different cross-section of consumers in the continental U.S. each month.
• It raised hope that the economy could avoid the much-feared recession and that any downturn would likely be short and mild, economists said.

The Michigan CSI has grown from its inception to be regarded as one of the leading indicators of consumer sentiment in the United States. History shows that consumer confidence has been at its lowest point just prior to and in the midst of recessionary periods. The index rises when consumers regain confidence in the economy, which portends increased consumer spending and thus economic growth. This growth, in turn, leads to greater interest from foreign investors, which results in the increased value of the dollar against other foreign currencies.

Adam Hayes, Ph.D., CFA, is a financial writer with 15+ years Wall Street experience as a derivatives trader. Besides his extensive derivative trading expertise, Adam is an expert in economics and behavioral finance. Adam received his master’s in economics from The New School for Social Research and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in sociology. He is a CFA charterholder as well as holding FINRA Series 7, 55 & 63 licenses. He currently researches and teaches economic sociology and the social studies of finance at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

“If recession is coming consumers sure don’t know it,” said Christopher Rupkey, chief economist at FWDBONDS in New York. “We expect the retail sales report covering the month of January will pop back into positive territory and we already know consumers bought a lot of cars and light trucks for the first month of the year.” The improvement in sentiment was probably driven by a rally on the stock market and persistent labor market strength. It raised hope that the economy could avoid the much-feared recession and that any downturn would likely be short and mild, economists said. Rising sentiment also suggested that the sharp declines in retail sales in November and December were a fluke. The Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index has provided a relatively accurate forecast of future consumer confidence and spending for the past several decades.

As independent economist Claudia Sahm noted in a recent opinion piece on Bloomberg, the long-running University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index shows depressed levels of consumer satisfaction. One is a full run and the second, a shorter version to put current numbers into more current context. After hitting a record high above $5 a gallon in mid-June, the average U.S. gasoline price has now fallen by more than 20% to back below $4 a gallon, according to AAA. Gas prices are influential in consumers’ view of inflation and of their overall sentiment about the economy. Meanwhile, inflation expectations for the next five years–a closely watched indicator for Federal Reserve officials–declined to 2.8% in September, from 3.0% in August, the survey said. With wage growth also on the rise, that could be a concern for the Fed as jobs and a bigger paycheck support continued inflation.

Federal Reserve Economic Data: Your trusted data source since 1991

While consumers recognize the ongoing strength of labor markets and the improvements in the economy compared with last summer, they remain tentative about whether these improvements can be sustained. The survey queries consumers on their views of their own personal finances, as well as the short-term and long-term state of the U.S. economy. Assessments of personal finances declined by about forex trading for beginners 6% as incomes weakened and expenses rose, both factors eroding the living standards of consumers. Signs of rising concerns about income and employment appeared throughout the survey across a variety of demographic groups. While a majority of consumers expect their incomes to rise next year, consumers believe any income increases will be small and will not keep pace with inflation, Hsu says.

• The Consumer Confidence number is published on the last Tuesday of the month.
• The university’s index for current economic conditions deteriorated to 55.4 from 63.3, while the measure for consumer expectations sank to 46.8 from 55.2.
• The Consumer Price Index (CPI), the Producer Price Index (PPI), and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) all forecast the future strength of the U.S. economy.
• Assessments of personal finances declined by about 6% as incomes weakened and expenses rose, both factors eroding the living standards of consumers.
• Two of the most important numbers that investors listen for every month are based on surveys that aim at understanding and tracking the behavior and mood of the American consumer.

The survey questions consumers on their views of their own personal finances, as well as the short-term and long-term state of the U.S. economy. Each survey contains approximately 50 core questions, and each respondent is contacted again for another survey six months after completing the first one. The survey’s measure of current economic conditions increased to a reading of 72.6 this month from 68.4 in January. Its gauge of consumer expectations dipped to 62.3 from a reading of 62.7 last month, likely reflecting lingering recession fears. The preliminary report is generally released during the middle of the month and covers survey responses collected in the first two weeks of the month.

How Google’s Pixel 8 Pro Will Change Smartphones Forever

The PCE price index that Furman noted was down to 3.5% as it starts to drift back up after hitting a low in June. Now look at the line under it — PCE without food or energy, usually called core, which is important because it takes the volatility of food and energy out of the equation. Not good news when food continues to be expensive and energy prices are shooting up again.

Charts On the Changing Market Mood In Q3

It has come to be included in the larger index of Leading Composite Indicators published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) through the Department of Commerce. Compounding matters are successive rate hikes from the Federal Reserve, which tack on more money to a mortgage payment by way of higher lending rates. With this in mind, it’s easy to see how this index of consumer attitudes gives insight into the direction of the economy.

The report countered hopes that inflation had peaked in March and signaled it will likely be harder than initially expected to slow price growth. The university’s index for current economic conditions deteriorated to 55.4 from 63.3, while the measure for consumer expectations sank to 46.8 from 55.2. Not only have Americans had it with today’s economy, they aren’t very hopeful that things will get better. The final reading of the consumer sentiment index dipped to 68.1 in September from 69.5 in August, according to data from a survey carried out by the University of Michigan released Friday. When consumer confidence increases, certain sectors tend to benefit sooner than others. Companies that provide consumer goods often reap the initial fruits of improved consumer sentiment.

Erika Rasure is globally-recognized as a leading consumer economics subject matter expert, researcher, and educator. She is a financial therapist and transformational coach, with a special interest in helping women learn how to invest. Elsewhere, seasonally adjusted first-time claims of unemployment totaled 237,000 for the week ending July 8 — lower than the comparable week a year ago, but continued claims for all unemployment programs were higher. This is because the data includes interviews conducted up to a day or two right before the official release. The Consumer Confidence Index is released on the last Tuesday of every month. Personal expenditure inflation is coming down, but not fast enough and prices are still high.

Why Economists Don’t Understand Consumer Worry

The survey is based on telephone interviews that gather information on consumer expectations for the economy. The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index cratered to 50.2 from 58.4 in an early June reading, according to a Friday report. That reflects the lowest level since regular monthly data collection began in the late 1970s. The print also landed well below the median forecast of 58.1 from economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Looking at labor markets more broadly, 36% of consumers expected unemployment rates to rise in the year ahead, up from 32% last month. Still, though, only 16.7% believed that unemployment will pose greater problems for the economy than inflation in the upcoming year; this is the lowest reading since November 2022.

Forty-six percent of surveyed consumers linked their pessimism to elevated inflation, Joanne Hsu, director of the university’s Surveys of Consumers, said in the report. That’s up from 38% in May and the second-largest share since 1981, when inflation meme stocks last trended so high. Credit card debt, after having fallen after the previous high point of the pandemic with the large amounts of aid sent to millions, is back up beyond to where it had been before the pandemic and is now at new historical heights.

Hedge funds using computers to sell up to $30 billion of stocks soon – UBS

“The sharp rise in sentiment was largely attributable to the continued slowdown in inflation along with stability in labor markets,” the report read. Each month, 500 households are telephoned and surveyed on their financial conditions and attitudes about the economy. Disposable personal income, what’s left after taxes, was up 0.2% in August. However, that was in current dollars, meaning they ignore the impact of inflation. Look instead at the row of chained 2012 dollars, which account for inflation over time. Personal income in real terms, in buying power, was down 0.2% in both August and July.

Sentiment among U.S. consumers weakened slightly in September, amid greater uncertainty about the direction of the economy. To calculate the CSI, first compute the relative scores (the percent giving favorable replies minus the percent giving unfavorable replies, plus 100) for each of the five index questions. Using the formula shown below, add the five relative scores, divide by the 1966 base period total of 6.7558, and add 2.0 (a constant to correct for sample design changes from the 1950s).

The Consumer Sentiment Index fell to 68.1 in the September 2023 survey, down from 69.5 in August and above last September’s 58.6. The Current Index fell to 71.4, down from 75.7 in August and above last September’s 59.7. The Expectations Index rose to 66.0, up from 65.5 in how to be a successful stock trader August and above last September’s 58.0. The preliminary August reading was above the median forecast of 52.5 among economists polled by Reuters. Transparency is how we protect the integrity of our work and keep empowering investors to achieve their goals and dreams.