US EditionUS consumer sentiment slips to a three-month low in March
The index dropped 6% to 53.3, amid rising inflation expectations and economic uncertainty driven by higher borrowing costs and global energy price increases, University of Michigan said.
- On Friday, the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index fell 6% to a final reading of 53.3, falling short of the 54.2 reading economists projected.
- Following the start of the Iran war on Feb. 28, escalating gas prices and volatile financial markets buffeted consumers, particularly those with middle and higher incomes.
- Year-Ahead inflation expectations climbed to 3.8% from 3.4% in February, marking the largest monthly increase since April 2025, even as long-run expectations edged lower to 3.2%.
- Moody's Analytics Chief Economist Mark Zandi said the firm raised recession probability to an "uncomfortably high" 49%, while ConnectOne Bank Founder and CEO Frank Sorrentino noted resilience in underlying economic activity.
36 Articles
36 Articles
The fall in consumer confidence is mainly attributed to economic concerns and geopolitical tensions
US Consumer Sentiment Hits Three-Month Low as War Stokes Inflation Fears
U.S. consumer sentiment fell more than expected in March touching a three-month low, as war in the Middle East stoked inflation worries and cast a shadow over the economic outlook. The decline, reported by the University of Michigan’s Surveys of Consumers on Friday, occurred across political party affiliation and age groups, with large decreases among middle- and higher-income consumers as well as those owning stocks. The month-long U.S.-Israeli…
Iran Conflict Hits US Consumer Sentiment, Fuels Inflation Worries: UMich
Consumers’ inflation outlook worsened this month as the war in Iran weighed on sentiment. Global energy prices have surged since the start of the military conflict in Iran, causing pain at the pump—and the possibility of renewed inflationary pressures across the marketplace. The University of Michigan’s March Consumer Sentiment Index, released on March 27, declined by 6 percent to its lowest level since December 2025. The indexes for current eco…
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