Overview
- The University of Michigan’s final February Consumer Sentiment Index registered 57.3 versus 55.0 expected, marking a third consecutive monthly gain.
- The Current Economic Conditions subindex climbed to 58.3, beating estimates, while Consumer Expectations came in at 56.6, roughly in line with forecasts.
- Year-ahead inflation expectations eased to 3.5%, the lowest since January 2025, as five-year expectations edged up to 3.4%.
- The latest reading extends a rebound from 51.0 in November and 52.9 in December to 56.4 in January.
- Commentary noted concerns that politicization may weaken the survey’s usefulness for predicting consumer spending.