The University of Michigan has revealed its consumer sentiment gauge has nosedived to a record low of 50.2 points on Friday. The figure stood nearly 10 points below predictions economic experts gave the Wall Street Journal and represented a drop of 8.2 points over the past month.
Views on current conditions fell to 55.4 in June from 63.3 the previous month, and a “barometer of expectations” measure dived down further, from 55.2 to 46.8 among consumers queried for the report.
Nor was consumer sentiment the only economic metric looking grim across the US. Responses indicated expectations for inflation over the coming year had risen to 5.4% in June from 3.3% in May, while expectations about inflation over the coming five years had crept up from 3% to 3.3%. Americans are more likely than at any time since 2008 to expect inflation, according to Charles Schwab strategist Kathy Jones.