Existing Home Sales During FEBRUARY 2026

Existing Home Sales report for February, 2026 was released by The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR®) this morning:

======================

Previous Month: 4,020,000

• Actual: 4,090,000

======================

•  Change from Previous Month: +1.74% (+70,000 homes)
  
  
•  Year-on-Year (Y-o-Y): -1.45% (-60,000 homes)

======================

• Inventory: 1,290,000 homes.

(3.8 months supply | +60,000 [+4.88%] homes Y-o-Y.)

======================

The yellow-highlighted, "actual" figure above represents the preliminary, seasonally adjusted annualized sales count of existing homes, co-ops and condominiums for the indicated month. The "predicted" figure is what economists were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

------------------------------------------------------

• Median Price: $398,000
  
  
• Price Change from A Year Ago: +0.3% (+$1,200)

------------------------------------------------------ 

==========

• Click Here for Historical Prices and a Chart.
  
  
• Click Here for New Home Sales Data.
  
  
• Click Here for the monthly New Home Sales report.

==========

From Today's Report:

"...'Housing affordability is improving, and consumers are responding,' said NAR Chief Economist Dr. Lawrence Yun. 'Still, there is a long way to go to return to pre-pandemic levels of transaction activity. There are more than 6 million more jobs than in 2019, yet home sales per year are down by one million.'

'Despite the modest gain in home sales, actual housing demand remains muted relative to wage growth and job gains,' Yun continued. 'Wage growth is now outpacing home price growth by almost four percentage points. Mortgage rates are also measurably lower compared to a year ago.'

'Inventory is growing, but sluggishly,' he added. 'If demand picks up notably in the coming months and outpaces supply growth, home prices will inevitably rise. That is why increasing supply is so important to help limit home price growth, improve housing affordability, and boost transactions.'..."

==================

INFOGRAPHIC: Existing Home Sales

FEBRUARY 2026 UPDATE
(Copyright © 2026 REALTORS®)

==================

==================

• Click here to view the NAR® data.

==================

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Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) for FEBRUARY 2026

Consumer Confidence Index® (CCI) for this month (February, 2026) was released by The Conference Board®:

================

Predicted: 88.0

• Actual: 91.2

================

Previous Month (revised): 89.0

• Change from Previous Month: +2.47% (+2.2 points)
  

================

The "predicted" figure is what economists were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

From Today's Report:

"...'Four of five components of the Index firmed. Nonetheless, the measure remained well below the four-year peak achieved in November 2024 (112.8).'

'Consumers’ write-in responses on factors affecting the economy continued to skew towards pessimism. Comments about prices, inflation, and the cost of goods remained at the top of consumer’s minds. Mentions of trade and politics also increased in February. Labor market mentions eased a bit in February, while observations about immigration increased somewhat.'..."

================

Every month, The Conference Board sends a questionnaire to 5,000 U.S. households. Survey participants are polled about their feelings regarding the U.S. economy, current and future, and about their own fiscal circumstances. On average, 3,500 participants complete and return the 5-question survey.

• The baseline "100" score for the CCI is associated with 1985 survey data.

When consumers feel good about the economy, they tend to do more spending, and vice versa.

Based in New York City, The Conference Board® is a private, not-for-profit organization with a mission to, "create and disseminate knowledge about management and the marketplace to help businesses strengthen their performance and better serve society."

The CCI is usually released on the last Tuesday of the month.

================  

CHART: Consumer Confidence Index (CCI)

FEBRUARY 2026 Update

========================================

• Click here to view the full Conference Board report.

========================================= 

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New Home Sales During DECEMBER 2025

The December, 2025 New Home Sales report was released by the Commerce Department:

------------------------------------------------------

Previous Month (unrevised): 758,000

• Actual New Home Sales: 745,000

------------------------------------------------------

• Change from 1-Month Previous: -13,000 units (-1.72%)
  
  
• Change from 1-Year Previous: +27,000 units (+3.76%)

------------------------------------------------------

Median Price for a New Home
During December, 2025: $414,400

• Change from One-Year Previous: -$8,600 (-2.03%)

 ***************************

Average Price for a New Home
During December, 2025: $532,600

• Change from One-Year Previous: +$23,700 (+4.66%)

------------------------------------------------------
Inventory: 472,000 (-17,000 units / -3.48% Year-on-Year)

• 7.6 months supply at current sales rate; seasonally‐adjusted estimate.

------------------------------------------------------

================================

CHART: Cost of A Newly Built Home
DECEMBER 2025 Update

================================

• CHART: Cost of A Newly Built Home.
  
  
• Click Here for Existing Home Sales Prices and a Chart.
  
  
• Click Here for The Monthly Existing Home Sales Report.

================================

Compiled jointly by the U.S. Commerce Department and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the yellow-highlighted figure above is the seasonally adjusted and annualized number of newly-built homes with committed buyers for the indicated month.

The New Home Sales report is watched by economists and investors because it offers insight into the state of the U.S. housing market, and also provides data that can be used to predict sales of large household furniture and appliances like refrigerators, air conditioners, microwave ovens, etc.

================================

• Click here to view the full Commerce Department report (PDF)
  
  

================================

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Consumer Sentiment: FINAL Results for FEBRUARY 2026

The University of Michigan's Index of Consumer Sentiment (ICS) - FINAL Results for February, 2026 was released today:

Predicted: 55.0

• Actual: 56.6

=========

• Change from Previous Month: +0.35% (+0.2 point)
  
  

• Change from 12-Months Previous: -12.52% (-8.1 points)

=========

• Final ICS Reading for January 2026: 56.4
  
  
• Final ICS Reading for February 2025: 64.7

=========

From Today's Report:

"...Consumer sentiment stagnated this month with very little change, just 0.2 index points higher than January. All index components posted insignificant movements this month; overall, consumers do not perceive any material differences in the economy from last month.

About 46% of consumers spontaneously mentioned high prices eroding their personal finances; readings have exceeded 40% for seven months in a row. Sentiment is about 13% below a year ago and 21% below January 2025.

That said, views vary considerably across the population. A sizable month-to-month increase in sentiment for the largest stockholders was fully offset by a decline among consumers without stock holdings. Similar divergences were seen across income and education, where higher-income or college educated consumers exhibited increases in sentiment while lower-income or less-educated counterparts did not.

With their much stronger income prospects and investment portfolios, wealthier and higher-income consumers feel better insulated from any possible risks to the economy.

Year-ahead inflation expectations fell from 4.0% last month to 3.4% this month, the lowest reading since January 2025. This month’s reading still exceeds those seen in 2024 and remains well above the 2.3-3.0% range seen in the two years pre-pandemic.

Long-run inflation expectations held steady at 3.3%, just above the 2.8% and 3.2% range seen in 2024. In 2019 and 2020, long-run inflation expectations were consistently below 2.8%. Uncertainty, as measured by the middle 50% of expectations, is now its lowest since December 2024 for the short run and October 2024 for the long run..."

=========

CHART: Inflation Expectations Remain Elevated
but Recently Converged for Consumers
Who Did and Did Not Mention Tariffs 
 =========

The ICS is derived from the following five survey questions:

1. "We are interested in how people are getting along financially these days. Would you say that you (and your family living there) are better off or worse off financially than you were a year ago?"
   
   
2. "Now looking ahead, do you think that a year from now you (and your family living there) will be better off financially, or worse off, or just about the same as now?"
   
   
3. "Now turning to business conditions in the country as a whole, do you think that during the next twelve months we'll have good times financially, or bad times, or what?"
   
   
4. "Looking ahead, which would you say is more likely: that in the country as a whole we'll have continuous good times during the next five years or so, or that we will have periods of widespread unemployment or depression, or what?"
   
   
5. "About the big things people buy for their homes, such as furniture, a refrigerator, stove, television, and things like that. Generally speaking, do you think now is a good or bad time for people to buy major household items?"
   

=========

• Click here for more on how the ICS is calculated.

=========

The ICS uses a 1966 baseline, i.e. for 1966, the ICS = 100. So any number that is below the 1966 baseline of 100 means that the folks who were polled recently aren't as optimistic about the U.S. economy as those polled back in 1966.

The ICS is similar to the Consumer Confidence Index in that they both measure consumer attitudes and offer valuable insight into consumer spending.

=========

The "predicted" figure is what economists were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

=========

• Click here to view the full University of Michigan report.

=========

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Existing Home Sales During JANUARY 2026

Existing Home Sales report for January, 2026 was released by The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR®) this morning:

======================

Previous Month: 4,270,000

• Actual: 3,910,000

======================

•  Change from Previous Month: -8.43% (-360,000 homes)
  
  
•  Year-on-Year (Y-o-Y): -4.4% (-180,000 homes)

======================

• Inventory: 1,220,000 homes.

(3.7 months supply | +40,000 [+3.39%] homes Y-o-Y.)

======================

The yellow-highlighted, "actual" figure above represents the preliminary, seasonally adjusted annualized sales count of existing homes, co-ops and condominiums for the indicated month. The "predicted" figure is what economists were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

------------------------------------------------------

• Median Price: $396,800
  
  
• Price Change from A Year Ago: +0.86% (+$3,400)

------------------------------------------------------ 

==========

• Click Here for Historical Prices and a Chart.
  
  
• Click Here for New Home Sales Data.
  
  
• Click Here for the monthly New Home Sales report.

==========

From Today's Report:

"...'The decrease in sales is disappointing. The below-normal temperatures and above-normal precipitation this January make it harder than usual to assess the underlying driver of the decrease and determine if this month’s numbers are an aberration,' said NAR Chief Economist Dr. Lawrence Yun.

'Affordability conditions are improving, with NAR’s Housing Affordability Index showing that housing is the most affordable it’s been since March 2022. This is due to wage gains outpacing home price growth and mortgage rates being lower than a year ago. However, supply has not kept pace and remains quite low.'

'Due to low supply, the median home price reached a new high for the month of January,' Yun added. 'Homeowners are in a financially comfortable position as a result. Since January 2020, a typical homeowner would have accumulated $130,500 in housing wealth.'..."

==================

INFOGRAPHIC: Existing Home Sales

JANUARY 2026 UPDATE
(Copyright © 2026 REALTORS®)

==================

==================

• Click here to view the NAR® data.

==================

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Consumer Sentiment: PRELIMINARY Results for FEBRUARY 2026

The University of Michigan's Index of Consumer Sentiment (ICS) - PRELIMINARY Results for February, 2026 was released today:

Predicted: 52.0

• Actual: 57.3

=========

• Change from Previous Month: +1.6% (+0.9 point)
  
  

• Change from 12-Months Previous: -11.44% (-7.4 points)

=========

• Final ICS Reading for January, 2026: 56.4
  
  
• Final ICS Reading for February, 2025: 64.7

=========

From Today's Report:

"...Consumer sentiment was essentially unchanged, inching up less than one index point from last month and sitting about 20% below January 2025. Sentiment surged for consumers with the largest stock portfolios, while it stagnated and remained at dismal levels for consumers without stock holdings.

On net, modest increases in current personal finances and buying conditions for durables were offset by a small decline in long-run business conditions.

While sentiment is currently the highest since August 2025, recent monthly increases have been small -- well under the margin of error -- and the overall level of sentiment remains very low from a historical perspective. Concerns about the erosion of personal finances from high prices and elevated risk of job loss continue to be widespread. Interviews for this release cover the two-week period that ended this past Monday.

Year-ahead inflation expectations fell from 4.0% last month to 3.5% this month, the lowest reading since January 2025. This month’s reading still exceeds those seen in 2024 and remains well above the 2.3-3.0% range seen in the two years pre-pandemic.

Long-run inflation expectations inched up for the second straight month, from 3.3% last month to 3.4% this month. In comparison, readings ranged between 2.8% and 3.2% in 2024, and were below 2.8% throughout 2019 and 2020..."

=========

CHART: Wealth Gaps in Sentiment Continue to Widen,
Mirroring Trends Seen in 2023 and 2024

FEBRUARY 2026 UPDATE

 =========

The ICS is derived from the following five survey questions:

1. "We are interested in how people are getting along financially these days. Would you say that you (and your family living there) are better off or worse off financially than you were a year ago?"
   
   
2. "Now looking ahead, do you think that a year from now you (and your family living there) will be better off financially, or worse off, or just about the same as now?"
   
   
3. "Now turning to business conditions in the country as a whole, do you think that during the next twelve months we'll have good times financially, or bad times, or what?"
   
   
4. "Looking ahead, which would you say is more likely: that in the country as a whole we'll have continuous good times during the next five years or so, or that we will have periods of widespread unemployment or depression, or what?"
   
   
5. "About the big things people buy for their homes, such as furniture, a refrigerator, stove, television, and things like that. Generally speaking, do you think now is a good or bad time for people to buy major household items?"
   

=========

• Click here for more on how the ICS is calculated.

=========

The ICS uses a 1966 baseline, i.e. for 1966, the ICS = 100. So any number that is below the 1966 baseline of 100 means that the folks who were polled recently aren't as optimistic about the U.S. economy as those polled back in 1966.

The ICS is similar to the Consumer Confidence Index in that they both measure consumer attitudes and offer valuable insight into consumer spending.

=========

The "predicted" figure is what economists were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

=========

• Click here to view the full University of Michigan report.

=========

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Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) for JANUARY 2026

Consumer Confidence Index® (CCI) for this month (January, 2026) was released by The Conference Board®:

================

Predicted: 89.0

• Actual: 84.5

================

Previous Month (revised): 94.2

• Change from Previous Month: -10.3% (-9.7 points)
  

================

The "predicted" figure is what economists were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

From Today's Report:

"...'Confidence collapsed in January, as consumer concerns about both the present situation and expectations for the future deepened,' said Dana M Peterson, Chief Economist, The Conference Board. 'All five components of the Index deteriorated, driving the overall Index to its lowest level since May 2014 (82.2) -- surpassing its COVID-19 pandemic depths.'

Peterson added: “Consumers’ write-in responses on factors affecting the economy continued to skew towards pessimism. References to prices and inflation, oil and gas prices, and food and grocery prices remained elevated. Mentions of tariffs and trade, politics, and the labor market also rose in January, and references to health/insurance and war edged higher.'..."

================

Every month, The Conference Board sends a questionnaire to 5,000 U.S. households. Survey participants are polled about their feelings regarding the U.S. economy, current and future, and about their own fiscal circumstances. On average, 3,500 participants complete and return the 5-question survey.

• The baseline "100" score for the CCI is associated with 1985 survey data.

When consumers feel good about the economy, they tend to do more spending, and vice versa.

Based in New York City, The Conference Board® is a private, not-for-profit organization with a mission to, "create and disseminate knowledge about management and the marketplace to help businesses strengthen their performance and better serve society."

The CCI is usually released on the last Tuesday of the month.

================  

CHART: Consumer Confidence Index (CCI)

JANUARY 2026 Update

========================================

• Click here to view the full Conference Board report.

========================================= 

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Consumer Sentiment: FINAL Results for JANUARY 2026

The University of Michigan's Index of Consumer Sentiment (ICS) - FINAL Results for January, 2026 was released today:

Predicted: 53.0

• Actual: 56.4

=========

• Change from Previous Month: +6.62% (+3.5 points)
  
  

• Change from 12-Months Previous: -21.34% (-15.3 points)

=========

• Final ICS Reading for December 2025: 52.9
  
  
• Final ICS Reading for January 2025: 71.7

=========

From Today's Report:

"...Consumer sentiment lifted about 3.5 index points this month, with minor gains seen across all index components. While the overall improvement was small, it was broad based, seen across the income distribution, educational attainment, older and younger consumers, and Republicans and Democrats alike.

However, national sentiment remains more than 20% below a year ago, as consumers continue to report pressures on their purchasing power stemming from high prices and the prospect of weakening labor markets.

Aside from tariff policy, consumers do not appear to be connecting foreign developments to their views of the economy. Note that interviews for this release concluded on January 19th, two days after Trump’s social media post announcing additional tariffs on eight countries in Europe..."

=========

CHART: Inflation Uncertainty Down from Q2, 2025
Peaks but Remains Substantially Elevated
 =========

The ICS is derived from the following five survey questions:

1. "We are interested in how people are getting along financially these days. Would you say that you (and your family living there) are better off or worse off financially than you were a year ago?"
   
   
2. "Now looking ahead, do you think that a year from now you (and your family living there) will be better off financially, or worse off, or just about the same as now?"
   
   
3. "Now turning to business conditions in the country as a whole, do you think that during the next twelve months we'll have good times financially, or bad times, or what?"
   
   
4. "Looking ahead, which would you say is more likely: that in the country as a whole we'll have continuous good times during the next five years or so, or that we will have periods of widespread unemployment or depression, or what?"
   
   
5. "About the big things people buy for their homes, such as furniture, a refrigerator, stove, television, and things like that. Generally speaking, do you think now is a good or bad time for people to buy major household items?"
   

=========

• Click here for more on how the ICS is calculated.

=========

The ICS uses a 1966 baseline, i.e. for 1966, the ICS = 100. So any number that is below the 1966 baseline of 100 means that the folks who were polled recently aren't as optimistic about the U.S. economy as those polled back in 1966.

The ICS is similar to the Consumer Confidence Index in that they both measure consumer attitudes and offer valuable insight into consumer spending.

=========

The "predicted" figure is what economists were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

=========

• Click here to view the full University of Michigan report.

=========

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Existing Home Sales During DECEMBER 2025

Existing Home Sales report for December, 2025 was released by The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR®) this morning:

======================

Previous Month: 4,140,000

• Actual: 4,350,000

======================

•  Change from Previous Month: +5.07% (+210,000 homes)
  
  
•  Year-on-Year (Y-o-Y): +1.4% (+60,000 homes)

======================

• Inventory: 1,180,000 homes.

(3.3 months supply | +40,000 [+3.51%] homes Y-o-Y.)

======================

The yellow-highlighted, "actual" figure above represents the preliminary, seasonally adjusted annualized sales count of existing homes, co-ops and condominiums for the indicated month. The "predicted" figure is what economists were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

------------------------------------------------------

• Median Price: $405,400
  
  
• Price Change from A Year Ago: +0.42% (+$1,700)

------------------------------------------------------ 

==========

• Click Here for Historical Prices and a Chart.
  
  
• Click Here for New Home Sales Data.
  
  
• Click Here for the monthly New Home Sales report.

==========

From Today's Report:

"...'2025 was another tough year for homebuyers, marked by record-high home prices and historically low home sales,' said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. 'However, in the fourth quarter, conditions began improving, with lower mortgage rates and slower home price growth. December home sales, after adjusting for seasonal factors, were the strongest in nearly three years. The gains were broad-based, with all four major regions improving from the prior month.'

'Inventory levels remain tight,' Yun added. 'With fewer sellers feeling eager to move, homeowners are taking their time deciding when to list or delist their homes. Similar to past years, more inventory is expected to come to market beginning in February.'..."

==================

INFOGRAPHIC: Existing Home Sales

DECEMBER 2025 UPDATE
(Copyright © 2026 REALTORS®)

==================

==================

• Click here to view the NAR® data.

==================

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New Home Sales During OCTOBER 2025

The October, 2025 New Home Sales report was released by the Commerce Department this morning:

------------------------------------------------------

Previous Month (unrevised): 738,000

• Actual New Home Sales: 737,000

------------------------------------------------------

• Change from 1-Month Previous: -1,000 units (-0.14%)
  
  
• Change from 1-Year Previous: +116,000 units (+18.68%)

------------------------------------------------------

Median Price for a New Home
During October, 2025: $392,300

• Change from One-Year Previous: -$34,000 (-7.98%)

 ***************************

Average Price for a New Home
During October, 2025: $498,000

• Change from One-Year Previous: -$23,900 (-4.58%)

------------------------------------------------------
Inventory: 488,000 (+8,000 units / +1.67% Year-on-Year)

• 7.9 months supply at current sales rate; seasonally‐adjusted estimate.

------------------------------------------------------

================================

CHART: Cost of A Newly Built Home
OCTOBER 2025 Update

================================

• CHART: Cost of A Newly Built Home.
  
  
• Click Here for Existing Home Sales Prices and a Chart.
  
  
• Click Here for The Monthly Existing Home Sales Report.

================================

Compiled jointly by the U.S. Commerce Department and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the yellow-highlighted figure above is the seasonally adjusted and annualized number of newly-built homes with committed buyers for the indicated month.

The New Home Sales report is watched by economists and investors because it offers insight into the state of the U.S. housing market, and also provides data that can be used to predict sales of large household furniture and appliances like refrigerators, air conditioners, microwave ovens, etc.

================================

• Click here to view the full Commerce Department report (PDF)
  
  

================================

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Consumer Sentiment: PRELIMINARY Results for JANUARY 2026

The University of Michigan's Index of Consumer Sentiment (ICS) - PRELIMINARY Results for January, 2026 was released today:

Predicted: 52.0

• Actual: 54.0

=========

• Change from Previous Month: +2.08% (+1.1 points)
  
  

• Change from 12-Months Previous: -24.69% (-17.7 points)

=========

• Final ICS Reading for December, 2025: 52.9
  
  
• Final ICS Reading for January, 2025: 71.7

=========

From Today's Report:

"...Consumer sentiment inched up for the second straight month and reached its highest reading since September 2025. Improvements in January were seen among lower-income consumers, while sentiment fell for those with higher incomes.

All told, while consumers perceived some modest improvement in the economy over the past two months, their sentiment remains nearly 25% below last January’s reading.

They continue to be focused primarily on kitchen table issues, like high prices and softening labor markets.

Although consumers’ worries about tariffs appear to be gradually receding, they remain guarded about the overall strength of business conditions and labor markets.

Note that more than 90% of interviews for this release were collected prior to the capture of Maduro in Venezuela.

Year-ahead inflation expectations held steady in January at 4.2%. This is the lowest reading since January 2025 but remains well above that month’s 3.3%.

Long-run inflation expectations ticked up slightly from 3.2% in December to 3.4% this month. In comparison, readings ranged between 2.8 and 3.2% in 2024, and were below 2.8% throughout 2019 and 2020..."

=========

CHART: Over The Past Year, College-Educated Consumers
Report Higher Likelihood of Own Job
 Loss than Less-Educated Counterparts

JANUARY 2026 UPDATE

 =========

The ICS is derived from the following five survey questions:

1. "We are interested in how people are getting along financially these days. Would you say that you (and your family living there) are better off or worse off financially than you were a year ago?"
   
   
2. "Now looking ahead, do you think that a year from now you (and your family living there) will be better off financially, or worse off, or just about the same as now?"
   
   
3. "Now turning to business conditions in the country as a whole, do you think that during the next twelve months we'll have good times financially, or bad times, or what?"
   
   
4. "Looking ahead, which would you say is more likely: that in the country as a whole we'll have continuous good times during the next five years or so, or that we will have periods of widespread unemployment or depression, or what?"
   
   
5. "About the big things people buy for their homes, such as furniture, a refrigerator, stove, television, and things like that. Generally speaking, do you think now is a good or bad time for people to buy major household items?"
   

=========

• Click here for more on how the ICS is calculated.

=========

The ICS uses a 1966 baseline, i.e. for 1966, the ICS = 100. So any number that is below the 1966 baseline of 100 means that the folks who were polled recently aren't as optimistic about the U.S. economy as those polled back in 1966.

The ICS is similar to the Consumer Confidence Index in that they both measure consumer attitudes and offer valuable insight into consumer spending.

=========

The "predicted" figure is what economists were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

=========

• Click here to view the full University of Michigan report.

=========

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Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) for DECEMBER 2025

Consumer Confidence Index® (CCI) for this month (December, 2025) was released by The Conference Board®:

================

Predicted: 92.0

• Actual: 89.1

================

Previous Month (revised): 92.9

• Change from Previous Month: -4.09% (-3.8 points)
  

================

The "predicted" figure is what economists were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

From Today's Report:

"...'Despite an upward revision in November related to the end of the shutdown, consumer confidence fell again in December and remained well below this year’s January peak. Four of five components of the overall index fell, while one was at a level signaling notable weakness,' said Dana M Peterson, Chief Economist, The Conference Board.

The Present Situation Index declined as net views on current business conditions were negative for the first time since September 2024, a month that included a labor market scare and deadly hurricanes. Perceptions of employment conditions edged lower as the labor market differential -- the share of consumers saying jobs are ‘plentiful’ minus the share saying jobs are ‘hard to get’ -- continued to flag. Two of the three Expectations Index components dipped in December. November’s nosedive in expectations for business conditions six months from now mostly reversed in December but remained negative. Expectations for labor market conditions were gloomier, and the outlook for household incomes was less positive.

Among demographic groups, on a six-month moving average basis, confidence dipped among all age groups in December, although consumers under 35 continued to be more confident than consumers age 35 and older. There were few generational differences, as confidence among all generations trended downward in the month, with only the Silent Generation becoming more hopeful. Millennials and Gen Z remained the most optimistic of all generations surveyed. By income, confidence on a six-month moving average basis fell for nearly all brackets, except for those earning less than $15K and more than $125K. Still, consumers earning less than $15K remained the least optimistic among all income groups. Confidence continued to fall in December among all political affiliations (Democrats, Republicans, and Independents).

Peterson added: 'Consumers’ write-in responses on factors affecting the economy continued to be led by references to prices and income, tariffs and trade, and politics. However, December saw increases in mentions of immigration, war, and topics related to personal finances -- including interest rates, taxes and income, banks, and insurance. The responses continued to skew pessimistic but less so than November, potentially due to fewer negative comments about prices and inflation, politics, as well as a rebound in positive responses about interest rates. Notably, the Federal Reserve Board cut monetary policy rates on December 10 for a third time in 2025, which landed in the second half of the survey sample interval.'

Nonetheless, the share of consumers expecting interest rates to rise were on net higher, with a drop in the proportion expecting lower rates. Consumers’ median and average 12-month inflation expectations both retreated in December after an uptick in November. The balance of consumers’ expectations for stock prices twelve months from now -- higher minus lower -- was the most positive since January 2025..."

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Every month, The Conference Board sends a questionnaire to 5,000 U.S. households. Survey participants are polled about their feelings regarding the U.S. economy, current and future, and about their own fiscal circumstances. On average, 3,500 participants complete and return the 5-question survey.

• The baseline "100" score for the CCI is associated with 1985 survey data.

When consumers feel good about the economy, they tend to do more spending, and vice versa.

Based in New York City, The Conference Board® is a private, not-for-profit organization with a mission to, "create and disseminate knowledge about management and the marketplace to help businesses strengthen their performance and better serve society."

The CCI is usually released on the last Tuesday of the month.

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CHART: Consumer Confidence Index (CCI)

DECEMBER 2025 Update

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• Click here to view the full Conference Board report.

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