Consumer sentiment toward the economy, a vital metric for gauging whether consumers are feeling comfortable enough to make major purchases, showed positive signs at the outset of 2026. However, per the latest findings from the University of Michigan’s Survey of Consumers, sentiment has started to dip. The index of Consumer Sentiment fell from 56.6 in…
Consumers’ perception of the economy plays as vital a role in shaping market activity as hard economic data, as consumers will want to know whether the economy is on solid footing before they make a major financial decision (such as buying a home). The latest report on Consumer Confidence from the nonprofit Conference Board—based on…
The optimism of a new year does not seem to have brought a boost to U.S. consumer confidence—quite the opposite, in fact. According to the latest survey from the Conference Board, consumer confidence has fallen to its lowest level since 2014, lower even than the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Confidence collapsed in January, as…
Consumer sentiment showed minor improvements as the first month of 2026 nears its close, with expectations toward the future looking mostly positive, according to the latest data. The University of Michigan’s latest Survey of Consumers found that the Index of Consumer Sentiment grew to 56.4 in January, up 3.5 points or 6.6% from December. The…
Buoyed by the reopening of the government on Thursday, a bit of optimism was in the air at NAR NXT, where Chief Economist Dr. Lawrence Yun predicted a 14% increase in existing-home sales in 2026, along with a 5% increase in new-home sales, a 4% increase in the median home price, and mortgage rates settling…
The post NAR Chief Economist: ‘The Light Is Flashing at the End of the Tunnel’ appeared first on RISMedia.
Without an end in sight for the government shutdown, consumer sentiment is reflecting that uncertainty, according to the latest data from the University of Michigan. The preliminary results for the Index of Consumer Sentiment came in at 50.3, down 6.2% from October’s reading of 53.6. Year-over-year, there was a 29.9% drop from 71.8 in November…
Renowned real estate expert Brian Buffini, founder and CEO of Buffini & Company, will unveil his highly anticipated yearly Bold Predictions forecast for the 2026 U.S. and Canadian housing market in a live virtual broadcast Wednesday, Dec. 3, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. PT. This event will provide real estate professionals with data-driven insights,…
Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook pointed to tariffs as the cause of a recent rise in inflation data during a Nov. 3 speech on economic outlook and monetary policy. During her speech, Cook noted the rise in inflation as of the September PCE report, which saw annual inflation hit “significantly” above the Fed’s 2% inflation…
Consumer reports of economic confidence are mixed in October as the government shutdown and other economic challenges persist. The latest Consumer Confidence Index from The Conference Board found that confidence fell by one point to 94.6 in October, down from an upwardly revised 95.6 in September. Stephanie Guichard, senior economist of Global Indicators at The…