Consumer & Business

Consumer Sentiment

The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index comes from a monthly survey of about 600 US households, scoring five questions on personal finances and expected business conditions against a 1966 baseline of 100. It is a diffusion-style index, so the level matters less than the direction: sharp drops have led consumer-spending slowdowns, and because roughly two-thirds of US GDP is consumption, it is watched as an early read on demand. Preliminary and final readings are published each month.