Consumer sentiment fell for a fourth consecutive month in November according to the final report for the Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index. The index came in at 61.3, down 2.5 points (-3.9%) from the October final. This morning's reading was above the forecast of 60.4.
The Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index is a monthly survey of consumer confidence levels in the U.S. with regards to the economy, personal finances, business conditions, and buying conditions, conducted by the University of Michigan. There are two reports released each month; a preliminary report released mid-month and a final report released at the end of the month.
Joanne Hsu, the director of surveys, made the following comments:
Consumer sentiment fell a modest 2.5 index points, or 4%, from October. While this marks the fourth consecutive month of declines, November’s reading reflects a balance of factors, some of which improved while others worsened. More-favorable current assessments and expectations of personal finances were offset by a notable deterioration in expected business conditions. In particular, long-run business conditions plunged by 15% to its lowest since July 2022. Younger and middle-aged consumers exhibited strong declines in economic attitudes this month, while sentiment of those age 55 and older improved from October.
Year-ahead inflation expectations rose to 4.5% this month, up from 4.2% in October, reaching its highest reading since April 2023. Long-run inflation expectations rose from 3.0% last month to 3.2% this month, a reading last seen in 2011. These expectations have risen in spite of the fact that consumers have taken note of the continued slowdown in inflation; consumers appear worried that the softening of inflation could reverse in the months and years ahead. [More...]
See the chart below for a long-term perspective on this widely watched indicator. We've highlighted the value of the index at the start of each recession and also included a callout to the most recent 12 months. The current level of 61.3 is below the index's level at the start of 6 of the 6 recessions since the index's inception.
To put today's report into the larger historical context, since its beginning in 1978, consumer sentiment is 27.9% below its average reading (arithmetic mean) of 85.0 and 26.9% below its geometric mean of 83.9. The current index level is at the 5th percentile of the 551 monthly data points in this series.
This indicator is somewhat volatile, with a 3.1 point absolute average monthly change. The latest data point saw a 2.5 point decrease from the previous month. For a visual sense of the volatility, here is a chart with the monthly data and a three-month moving average. The bottom half of the chart shows real GDP to help us evaluate the correlation between the Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index and the broader economy.
Other Sentiment Indicators
For an additional perspective on consumer attitudes, see the most recent Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index. Both indexes gauge consumer attitudes toward the current and future strength of the economy. However, the Consumer Confidence Index is more influenced by employment and labor market conditions while the Michigan Sentiment Index is more focused on household finances and the impact of inflation.
The Conference Board index is the more volatile of the two, but the broad pattern and general trends have been remarkably similar to the Michigan index.
And finally, the prevailing mood of the Michigan survey is also similar to the mood of small business owners, as captured by the NFIB business optimism Index (monthly update here).
The next update to this report will be published on December 8th.
ETFs associated with sentiment include: Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY).
Read more updates by Jen Nash
