There’s one survey to rule them all, when it comes to getting a gut feeling for the health of the American consumer. Running monthly since 1946, the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment survey offers an uninterrupted, long-term record of American consumers’ mood across wars, booms, recessions, and technological change.
The July edition shows renewed optimism, according to the University of Michigan’s preliminary results, as the Consumer Sentiment Index climbed to 61.8 from 60.7 in June. This slightly surpasses analyst expectations and marks the index’s highest point in five months—February, just after President Donald Trump took office again but months before he shocked markets and allies with his “Liberation Day” tariffs in April. Still, it’s only cause for a muted celebration.
