Confidence

A long-term record for small business economic enthusiasm was broken in August 2018 according to the National Federation of Independent Business.  Their optimism index reached 108.8 after hitting 107.9 in July.  This most recent uptick put the tally above its previous high-water mark of 108 set in 1983.

Small business confidence remains high in the U.S. according to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).  Their optimism index gave back just 0.6 points in June after reaching its second highest reading ever in May. Despite the monthly setback, this reading of 107.2 is the sixth best tally in the survey’s 45-year history. 

Americans continued feeling chuffed in January 2018 according to two popular measures of consumer attitudes.  Consumer Confidence from the Conference Board jumped to 125.4 after the upwardly revised tally of 123.1 (originally 122.1).  However, there was a small letdown in the Consumer Sentiment figure from the University of Michigan which moved down a touch, falling to 95.7 from 95.9

Small business optimism is at multi-decade high according to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).  This measure of enthusiasm has not reached this level in over 34 years, and it has only reached a similar reading one other time in the survey’s 44-year history.  The optimism index reached 107 during November 2017, a gain of 3.7 points. 

Two popular measures of consumer attitudes were mixed in November 2017, but they both remain relatively elevated.  Consumer Confidence put out by the Conference Board hit a new 17-year high, reaching 129.5.  Consumer Sentiment from the University of Michigan declined to 98.5 from 100.7, the highest peak of the last decade.

Small business confidence remained elevated during October 2017 according to data from the National Federation of Independent Businesses’ (NFIB) Optimism Index.  This indicator made back some of the 2.3 point decline in September, gaining 0.8 in the latest survey.  Of the ten components, four rose, five declined marginally, and one remained unchanged.

Consumers are chuffed with the economy according to two popular measures of consumer attitudes.  In October 2017, both measures reached levels not seen in over a decade.  Consumer Confidence jumped 5.3 points to 125.9 according to the Conference Board, a 17-year high.  The University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment recorded a tally of 100.7 or the best level in nearly 14 y