Updated: 25-Feb-25 10:21 ET
| February Consumer Confidence |
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| Updated: 25-Feb-25 10:21 ET |
Highlights
- The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index dropped to 98.3 in February (Briefing.com consensus 103.1) from an upwardly revised 105.3 (from 104.1) in January.
- This was the largest monthly decline since August 2021.
Key Factors
- The Present Situation Index fell to 136.5 from 139.9 in January.
- The Expectations Index slumped to 72.9 from 82.2 in January. This is the first sub-80 reading, which is the cutoff that usually signals a recession ahead, for the first time since June 2024.
- Average 12-month inflation expectations surged from 5.2% to 6.0% in February.
Big Picture
- The key takeaway from the report is that the drop in confidence was seen across all age groups with worries about tariffs, inflation, and future employment prospects driving the decline.
| Category | FEB | JAN | DEC | NOV | OCT |
| Conference Board | 98.3 | 105.3 | 109.5 | 112.8 | 109.6 |
| Expectations | 72.9 | 82.2 | 86.5 | 93.7 | 91.9 |
| Present Situation | 136.5 | 139.9 | 144.0 | 141.4 | 136.1 |
| Employment ('plentiful' less 'hard to get') | 17.1 | 19.4 | 22.2 | 18.4 | 16.5 |
| 1 yr inflation expectations | 6.0% | 5.2% | 5.1% | 5.0% | 5.2% |