The barometer of the University of Michigan wins from 5%, to 58.6 points, clearly disappointing analysts who rather expect a slight increase at 62.5 points.
Consumer confidence in the United States has relapsed in August, unlike market expectations, when concern is in particular strengthening on current economic conditions, as the customs duties wanted by Donald Trump come into force.
According to the preliminary estimate of the barometer published Friday by the University of Michigan, the index comes out at 58.6 points, down 5% over a month, with a drop of two undanticators taken into account, confidence in current economic conditions and that in future economic activity.
An estimate that surprised the analysts, while the latter rather touted on a slight increase in the index, at 62.5 points in August against 61.7 points in July, according to the consensus published by Marketwatch.
Over a year, the index is 13.7% below the levels observed then.
This is “the first decrease in four months,” said the director of the investigation, Joanne Hsu, cited in the press release, for whom “this deterioration is largely fed by an increase in concerns relating to inflation”.
Consequences, the conditions of purchase of sustainable products have decreased sharply, to reach their lowest level over a month, while the feeling linked to the personal finances of American consumers is slightly retreats “against the backdrop of rising concerns concerning their purchasing power”.
“Consumers are not preparing at the worst scenario, as was the case in April”, while President Donald Trump announced the planned customs duties, but they “continue to expect inflation and unemployment to deteriorate in the future,” said HSU.
A sign of this concern, the sub-index linked to the current economic conditions is falling within 10.4% over a month, to 60.9 points, while that on the upcoming economic conditions fell more modestly, from 0.9%, to 57.2 points.
However, the latter sub-index remains more than 20% below the levels observed a year ago.
“Uncertainty surrounding customs duties, other economic policies as well as immigration continues to weigh on consumer confidence,” said HFE chief, Carl Weinberg, “this could lead them to limit their expenses” in the future.
President Donald Trump signed a decree at the beginning of the month, since August 7, the additional customs duties imposed on the countries of the United States of the United States.
Customs duties are now established between the minimum threshold of 10%, on the majority of products entering the United States, and 50%.