Updated: 30-Sep-25 10:23 ET
Highlights
- The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index fell to 94.2 in September (Briefing.com consensus 96.0) from an upwardly revised 97.8 (from 97.4) in August.
- In the same period a year ago, the index stood at 99.2.
- The Present Situation Index fell to 125.4 from 132.4.
- The Expectations Index decreased to 73.4 from 74.7, remaining below 80, which is a level that typically signals recession ahead.
- Average 12-month inflation expectations dropped to 5.8% from 6.1% in August.
- The key takeaway from the report is that consumers felt much less positive about business conditions, with thoughts about job availability hitting multi-year lows. That considertaion will underpin the market's thinking that another rate cut is at least coming at the October FOMC meeting.
| Category | SEP | AUG | JUL | JUN | MAY |
| Conference Board | 94.2 | 97.8 | 98.7 | 95.2 | 98.4 |
| Expectations | 73.4 | 74.7 | 76.0 | 69.9 | 73.6 |
| Present Situation | 125.4 | 132.4 | 132.8 | 133.0 | 135.5 |
| Employment ('plentiful' less 'hard to get') | 7.8 | 11.1 | 11.0 | 12.2 | 12.7 |
| 1 yr inflation expectations | 5.8% | 6.1% | 5.7% | 5.9% | 6.4% |
