Dallas Fed Business Activity Slows Decline

The general business activity index published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas edged up to -9.9 in April 2026 from a near one-year low of -13.3 in March, though overall perceptions of business conditions remain weak. The revenues index increased 3 points to 4.3. Meanwhile, selling and input price pressures increased, rising to 8.3 and 31.2 respectively. Labor market measures remain unchanged, while wage and benefits index declined 5 points to 7.7. Looking ahead, general business activity sentiment improved. The company outlook index rose 5 points to -5 and the uncertainty index edged down 2 points to 24.8.

The general business activity index published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas plummeted by 10.1 points from the previous month to -13.3 in March of 2026, reflecting the largest magnitude of pessimism since April of the previous year. Revenues grew at a softer pace (1.3 vs 4.1 in February). The drop in the index coincided with a sharp increase in input prices (24.4 vs 22.4) due to the surge in global energy prices after the outbreak of war in the Middle East, while the drop in client's acquisition power pressured selling price growth (4.9 vs 8.3). Looking ahead, the company outlook index dropped by 7.5 points to -9.9.

The general business activity index published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas fell to -3.2 in February of 2026 from 2.7 in the earlier month, reflecting a slight worsening in broader business conditions. The index measuring revenues ticked down to 4.1, losing traction from the jump seen in the first month of the year. Consistently, employment levels suggested little change (0.4 vs 0.9 in January 2026). On the price front, input costs extended their sharp increases and rose at about the same pace as the previous month (22.4 vs 21.1), driving companies to similarly maintain growth for selling charges (8.3 vs 7.9). Looking ahead, companies continued to improve their outlook on future business conditions (15.0 vs 14.7).