US Consumer Sentiment Declines in August Amid Weakening Economic Expectations

The University of Michigan consumer sentiment index fell to 51.7 in August from 55.2 in July, driven by declines in both current conditions and future expectations. While the headline figure outperformed analyst expectations of 51.0, the downward trend in sentiment highlights persistent economic uncertainty. Inflation expectations for the 12-month horizon moderated slightly to 4.0%.