U.S. consumer confidence hits 49.8
- The University of Michigan said on April 24 its final April consumer sentiment index fell to 49.8, a record low, as U.S. households stayed worried about inflation after the Iran conflict. - The final 49.8 reading was down from 53.3 in March, while one-year inflation expectations jumped to 4.7% from 3.8% and long-run expectations rose to 3.5%. - The drop landed days before fresh earnings and the next Conference Board confidence report, with economists tracking whether higher prices start hitting spending harder. (sca.isr.umich.edu) (conference-board.org)
U.S. consumer sentiment fell to a record low of 49.8 in April, according to the University of Michigan’s final April survey. (sca.isr.umich.edu) The index was 53.3 in March and 52.2 in April 2025, and the April 2026 reading was revised up from a preliminary 47.6 released earlier this month. (sca.isr.umich.edu) (tradingeconomics.com) Joanne Hsu, director of the Surveys of Consumers, said declines showed up across political party, income, age and education groups. She said sentiment recovered only modestly after a two-week cease-fire and slightly lower gas prices. (sca.isr.umich.edu) The survey tied much of the damage to inflation fears linked to the Iran conflict, especially through gasoline and other price shocks. Reuters reported households “shrugged off” the cease-fire and stayed focused on the inflation fallout. (sca.isr.umich.edu) (msn.com) Inflation expectations moved sharply higher. Consumers now expect prices to rise 4.7% over the next year, up from 3.8% in March, while long-run expectations climbed to 3.5% from a 3.2% to 3.3% range over the prior four months. (sca.isr.umich.edu) The survey’s current-conditions gauge fell to 52.5 from 55.8, and the expectations gauge dropped to 48.1 from 51.7. Those numbers show households felt worse about both the economy now and the economy ahead. (sca.isr.umich.edu) This is a different measure from the Conference Board’s consumer confidence index, which stood at 91.8 in March after 91.0 in February. That report’s next release is scheduled for April 28, 2026. (conference-board.org) (wahoopredict.com) The Michigan survey now looks more like the June 2022 trough that followed an earlier inflation shock. Hsu said April sentiment was “comparable to the trough seen in June 2022,” even after the late-month rebound. (sca.isr.umich.edu) The next Michigan release, a preliminary reading for May, is due on May 8 at 10 a.m. Eastern. That report will show whether softer gas prices did more than briefly lift a record-low mood. (sca.isr.umich.edu)
