US consumer confidence weakens in September

29th Sep 2026 15:10

(Sharecast News) - US consumer confidence weakened in September, according to the Conference Board, with both assessments of current conditions and expectations for the months ahead deteriorating.

The headline consumer confidence index fell 6.7 points to 81.9, down from 88.6 in August, while the present situation index, which tracks views on business and labour market conditions, dropped 7.9 points to 109.3, and the expectations index slid 5.9 points to 63.6, marking a third straight monthly decline.

"The consumer confidence index deteriorated notably in September, following two prior months of softening," said Dana M Peterson, chief economis at the Conference Board.

"The present situation Index fell sharply, while the expectations index slipped further into negative territory. Consumer appraisals of current business conditions became negative for the first time since September 2024. Perceptions of the current labour market also worsened, though remained within positive territory. Over the next six months, consumers expected both business conditions and the labour market to weaken. Consumers still anticipated their household incomes to rise, but less so compared to previous months."

Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com