US Consumer Mood Brightens Heading Into Holiday Season: University of Michigan

While the inflation outlook improved, price pressures continued to weigh on sentiment.

People shop at a grocery store in Elkridge, Md., on Oct. 24, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

Consumers are slightly more optimistic about the U.S. economy and inflation expectations heading into the new year, according to the University of Michigan.

The preliminary December Consumer Sentiment Index rose 4.5 percent to 53.3 from 51 in November—the second lowest in the series history—and represented the first increase since July.