Inflation Fears

Market Musings 8/26/2025

Quick thoughts on the markets and major portfolio news. Not on Ursa yet? Download Ursa from the App Store!

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#ConsumerConfidence slips with #Inflation fears back…

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So, how are consumers feeling these days? Not terrible… but not great either. The latest #ConsumerConfidence report shows Americans are still a little gloomy, but maybe not as gloomy as economists expected.

The Consumer Confidence Index came in at 97.4 for August. That’s down from July, but not as bad as gloomier forecasts. #ConsumerConfidence continues to drift lower, but not off a cliff yet.

Overall, the Present Situation Index (how people feel right now) slipped a little. However, the Expectations Index (outlook going forward) dipped to 74.8. That’s below the 80 mark that usually signals #Recession worries.

Where’s the worry coming from? Well, #Inflation…

#Inflation expectations for next year are climbing again at 6.2%. That’s up from 5.7% in July.

The likely culprit? #Tariffs. The survey noted #Tariffs mentions were on the rise in the fill-in comments. That’s unsurprising with #Tariffs finally going into effect in August. We’ll continue to monitor new inflation data to see how they’re flowing through to consumers.

What’s the takeaway? #ConsumerConfidence is softening with #Inflation fears bubbling up again. It’s not panic mode yet, but the underlying mood feels a little more fragile than the headline number suggests.