Confidence

Consumers seemed to be marginally less happy in September than in August according to two popular surveys of consumer attitudes.  Consumer Confidence from the Conference Board dropped to 119.8 versus the downwardly revised count of 120.4 (originally 122.9) in August.  Data collected by the University of Michigan for Consumer Sentiment resulted in a reading of 95.1 compared to 96.8 a m

Small business owners continued feeling ebullient in August according to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).  Increasing one-tenth of a percentage point, the Small Business Optimism Index matched its highest reading in 12 years, reaching 105.3 in August 2017.  Details in the report were mixed, but the magnitude of the rate of change for rising categories was greate

Popular measures of consumer attitudes were positive in August 2017. Those polled by the Conference Board for the Consumer Confidence tally were much more enthusiastic than a month earlier as were the folks interviewed by the University of Michigan for Consumer Sentiment figures.

Retail sales were strong in July 2017 according to the Census Bureau.  Month-over-month, this important indicator jumped 0.6 percent.  Compared to a year earlier, transactions increased 4.2 percent.   Not only did the second half of the year get off to quick start, June’s tally was revised upward substantially; first reported as falling 0.2 percent, a more complete cou

Consumer attitudes are mixed according to two popular surveys.  Per Consumer Confidence numbers from the Conference Board, Americans felt better in July 2017 than a month earlier as it enjoyed a 3.8 point jump from the downwardly revised tally of 117.3 (originally 118.9) to 121.1 in the period.  However, the Consumer Sentiment Index produced by the University of Michigan was decidedly

Durable Goods Orders for June 2017

Washington D. C. seems to have a lot of influence on the way business owners feel. Small Business Optimism, as measured by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), jumped immediately after the presidential election.