Overview
- The Conference Board’s U.S. Consumer Confidence Index slipped to 94.6 in October from a revised 95.6, with the Expectations Index down to 71.5 and the Present Situation Index up to 129.3.
- Write-in responses highlighted prices and inflation as the top concern, with multiple mentions of the ongoing U.S. government shutdown and growing unease about future job prospects.
- Year-ahead inflation expectations ticked up to 5.9%, and separate reporting noted slower hiring alongside new corporate job cuts at Amazon, Target, Meta and Starbucks.
- Germany’s GfK/NIM consumer climate index is projected at -24.1 for November, down from a revised -22.5 in October, based on a survey conducted Oct. 2–13.
- The German decline was led by a near 13-point plunge in income expectations to 2.3, while economic expectations edged up to 0.8 and willingness to buy improved slightly but remained subdued.