US Consumer Confidence

Americans' confidence in the economy slumped for the fifth straight month to the lowest level since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic as anxiety over the impact of tariffs takes a heavy toll. The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell 7.9 points in April to 86, its lowest reading since May 2020. Nearly one-third of consumers expect hiring to slow in the coming months, nearly matching the level reached in April 2009, when the economy was mired in the Great Recession. The figures reflect a rapidly souring mood among Americans, most of whom expect prices to rise because of the widespread tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. About half of Americans are also worried about the potential for a recession, according to a survey by The Associated Press-NORC Centre. Rattled consumers spend less than confident consumers, said Carl Weinberg, chief economist at High Frequency Economics, in an email. If confidence sags and consumers retrench, growth will go ..

It followed on the heels of surveys last week showing steep declines in business and consumer sentiment in February

The consumer price index increased 0.2 per cent last month after falling 0.1 per cent in June, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics said

While the economy is expected to slow this year as a result of the cumulative impact of 525 basis points worth of interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve since March 2022 to tame inflation

The Conference Board said on Tuesday that its consumer confidence index rose to 114.8 this month, the highest reading since December 2021

The Conference Board said its consumer confidence index fell to 101.3 - the lowest since July 2022 - from a revised 104.0 in March

The Conference Board's index fell to 109.3 from a revised 115.2 reading in August, according to the group's report Tuesday.

The Conference Board's consumer confidence index dropped to a reading of 88.6 this month, the lowest since August, from 92.9 in November

US stocks, which enjoyed a huge rally on Wednesday, were trading sharply lower after Thursday's data, with the S&P 500 index down about 1.8 per cent

Amercian economy expected to grow at a 2.2% annualised rate in Q3 over the preceding quarter's brisk 3% pace