The University of Michigan’s final consumer sentiment index eased to 48 in October from 48.1 in September, a five-month low driven by high prices and rising interest rates. The reading beat the preliminary figure and topped all estimates in a Bloomberg survey of economists. Consumers expect prices to rise 4.7% over the next year, up from 4.6% the previous month, and expect costs to climb 3.5% annually over the next five to 10 years, both the highest since May. Survey director Joanne Hsu warned that elevated inflation expectations could become entrenched. Nearly 70% of consumers expect interest rates to rise in the year ahead, the highest in more than three years, while independents’ sentiment fell for a third straight month.
Summary written by Upside AI from the original article. Read the source for full details.
Read the original on spokesman.com ↗
Keywords
consumer confidenceinflationinterest rates
Open a keyword to see other news on the same topic.
Related tickers and likely impact
QQQ
▼ Likely negativeInvesco QQQ Trust
Relevance: low
| Market | US stocks |
|---|---|
| Sector | ETF |
| Close on 10/23/2026 | 704.39 |
| Change that session | -0.01% |
SPY
▼ Likely negativeSPDR S&P 500 ETF
Relevance: low
| Market | US stocks |
|---|---|
| Sector | ETF |
| Close on 10/23/2026 | 759.85 |
| Change that session | -0.54% |
XAU/USD
▲ Likely positiveRelevance: low
| Market | Gold |
|---|---|
| Close on 10/23/2026 | 3,995.78 |
| Change that session | -0.72% |
Impact is scored by AI from the headline and may be wrong. It is not investment advice.
Related news
- Australian consumer confidence falls as inflation concerns rise
Australians recorded one of the steepest falls in consumer confidence among developed countries over the past year, as stubborn inflation and rising interest rates squeezed household budgets. According to OECD figures, Australian consumer confidence fell 1.1 index points in the 12 months to September, with only Chile and Belgium recording sharper declines. The article says the drop highlights the Albanese government's struggle to convince voters it is doing enough to address cost-of-living pressures.
- Consumer sentiment nears historic low, University of Michigan study finds
A new University of Michigan report shows Americans are feeling worse about the economy as costs keep rising, from fuel to food. Joanne Hsu, director of the University of Michigan Survey of Consumers, said consumers currently feel as negative about the economy as they did at the height of post-pandemic inflation in 2022, with measurements near historic lows. She said tariffs and the war in Iran have contributed to consumer concerns about where inflation is headed and whether relief will come. Views on the outlook are mixed, with some people hopeful ahead of the midterms and others more cynical, while high costs are affecting personal lives.
- Extraordinary collapse sees consumer confidence suffer biggest slump in a decade
UK consumer confidence, as measured by GfK, fell 11 points to minus 24 in October, its sharpest drop since July 2016 excluding the pandemic, with gloom deepening especially over the economic outlook. High global oil prices from Donald Trump's Iran war have pushed up fuel and household energy costs, with Brent crude hitting $112.68 a barrel, a five-month high. Wage growth slowed to 4.5 per cent, the weakest since 2021, while inflation rose to 3.5 per cent, an 11-month high, and is expected to reach 4 per cent in the new year. Job vacancies fell below 700,000, a 12-year low, and national debt rose above £3 trillion for the first time, while ten-year borrowing costs are near 19-year highs, leaving Chancellor John Healey with limited room to support households before the coming Budget.
- Pump - Pain Spreads : Retail Sales Soar To Record High , Sentiment Sits As Record Low
- First Consumers , Now CEOs : Economic Confidence Crumbles As Inflation Bites
A survey of 131 CEOs by The Conference Board and The Business Council, conducted Sept. 21 to Oct. 5, shows the CEO Confidence measure fell six points to 46 from 52, its lowest since the second quarter of 2025. The share of CEOs expecting conditions to worsen over the next six months more than doubled to 41% from 19%, while only 13% expect improvement, down from 25%. The gloom mirrors consumers, whose preliminary October sentiment fell to 46.3, near a record low, with one-year inflation expectations rising to 4.7%, after September consumer prices rose 3.7% annually and gasoline jumped 9.1%. Still, most executives have not cut investment plans, with 53% expecting no change in capital spending and 36% planning increases, while hiring plans were split between 33% expanding and 31% reducing.
- Energy Prices Set to Weigh on Consumer Confidence
Related markets
Latest news
- France Deploys 70,000 Police Amid Fears of Widespread Riots
The French government is deploying about 70,000 police nationwide on Oct. 24, roughly 10,000 more than last weekend, ahead of expected protests in major cities. The force includes elite police, mounted officers, helicopters, drones, armoured vehicles and water cannon trucks. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez warned that some groups are using social media to call for attacks on public buildings. The protests, which began with student demands over learning conditions, drew over 500,000 people on Oct. 17, and about 2,700 people have been arrested since then. Paris extended its night curfew to Oct. 26 and Lyon banned gatherings in central areas, but UNEF and the Yellow Vest movement still call for marches.
- Us Consumer Sentiment : From fuel price hikes to cost - of - living concerns , US consumer sentiment nears record low
US consumer sentiment edged down to 48.0 in October, near a record low, as price increases linked to the Middle East conflict weighed on households, according to a University of Michigan survey. Sentiment among independents fell sharply to 42.4 from 47.7 in September, just above May's record low of 40.6, while scores among Democrats and Republicans improved. Expectations for inflation over the next 12 months rose to 4.7%, and expectations for the next five years increased to 3.5%. Survey director Joanne Hsu warned that persistently elevated inflation expectations could complicate the Federal Reserve's efforts to bring inflation to its 2% target, and the Fed is due to meet next week with the policy rate widely expected to stay at 3.75%-4.00%.
- Something in Tehran Resembles What Once Unfolded in Moscow
The author compares the Soviet Union with Iran after reading On the Edge of Empire: From Brezhnev to Putin by journalist Salam Musafir. He argues the two authoritarian systems, one secular and one religious, share weaknesses: a gap between official rhetoric and everyday life, economic stagnation, and costs from foreign ambitions. He says Iranians, especially younger generations, are demanding fair incomes, jobs and personal freedoms, and that grievances such as those illustrated by the 2022 case of Mahsa Amini cannot all be dismissed as the work of foreign agents. While he does not treat every opposition claim as unquestionable, he says their recurring economic complaints deserve examination. He notes that history does not simply repeat itself, but political systems can differ in ideology while sharing the same sources of weakness.
- CBN okay JPMorgan to establish merchant bank in Nigeria
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has granted Approval-in-Principle to JPMorgan to establish JPMorgan Merchant Bank Nigeria Limited, but the bank must meet further requirements and obtain a final operating licence before it can begin business. Michael Akuka, Director of Corporate Communications and Investor Relations at the CBN, said this is only the first stage, with registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission and other operational arrangements still required. The CBN also approved Adedapo Adedayo Olagunju as managing director, along with several non-executive and independent non-executive directors. Governor Olayemi Cardoso said the goal is a stable, competitive and internationally connected financial system, following the completion of the banking sector recapitalisation exercise.
- Mexican Peso Gains 0 . 3 % on Friday but Ends Week 0 . 8 % Lower
The Mexican peso rebounded against the U.S. dollar on Friday but still finished the week weaker. Banco de México's benchmark was 18.6601 pesos per dollar on Oct. 23, up from 18.5045 on Oct. 16, a 0.84% rise in the peso-per-dollar quote that equals a 0.83% drop in the peso's dollar value. The rate fell from 18.7134 on Oct. 22 to Oct. 23, implying a roughly 0.3% daily gain for the peso. INEGI said its Global Economic Activity Indicator rose 0.6% from July and 3.5% year on year in August, using seasonally adjusted figures. The University of Michigan put its final October Consumer Sentiment Index at 48.0, compared with 48.1 in September.
- Bank of Italy Scotti Urges Staged Investment in Digital Finance
Bank of Italy Deputy Governor Chiara Scotti urged lenders to build adaptable digital-finance systems and test them in limited stages, since demand and the market's eventual design remain uncertain. She warned that customers may reach financial services through interfaces controlled by platforms, which could make banks less visible. A Boston Consulting Group model estimated that a regional bank pairing digital-asset custody with other services could add $80 million to $100 million in profit, though this was modelled rather than reported earnings. ECB data put tokenized assets on public blockchains at €38 billion in February 2026, up from €7.4 billion in early 2024. The Eurosystem launched Pontes on Sept. 21 to settle wholesale transactions in tokenized assets in central bank money.
Get the briefing on Telegram or Zalo
Join the Upside Telegram channel or Zalo group for the Vietnam stocks and gold briefing at 8:00 and 19:00 (Vietnam time) on trading days, plus a weekly wrap on Saturday morning.