US Economic Sentiment Falls to Near 2-Year Low

2026-04-07 14:25 By Agna Gabriel 1 min. read

The RealClearMarkets/TIPP Economic Optimism Index fell sharply to 42.8 in April 2026, the lowest level since June 2024, down from 47.5 in March and below expectations of 48.1, as concerns over the Middle East war and rising gasoline prices weighed on sentiment.

The index has now remained below the neutral 50 mark for eight straight months, signaling persistent pessimism.

The Six Month Economic Outlook dropped 10.5% to 38.5, reflecting growing doubts about the economy’s near-term prospects.

The Personal Financial Outlook also weakened, slipping 7.6% to 50.2.

Meanwhile, confidence in Federal Economic Policies deteriorated significantly, with the gauge falling to 39.8 from 45.1, highlighting rising skepticism over the government’s ability to manage economic challenges amid heightened uncertainty.



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US Economic Sentiment Falls to Near 2-Year Low
The RealClearMarkets/TIPP Economic Optimism Index fell sharply to 42.8 in April 2026, the lowest level since June 2024, down from 47.5 in March and below expectations of 48.1, as concerns over the Middle East war and rising gasoline prices weighed on sentiment. The index has now remained below the neutral 50 mark for eight straight months, signaling persistent pessimism. The Six Month Economic Outlook dropped 10.5% to 38.5, reflecting growing doubts about the economy’s near-term prospects. The Personal Financial Outlook also weakened, slipping 7.6% to 50.2. Meanwhile, confidence in Federal Economic Policies deteriorated significantly, with the gauge falling to 39.8 from 45.1, highlighting rising skepticism over the government’s ability to manage economic challenges amid heightened uncertainty.
2026-04-07
US Economic Sentiment Slips In March
The RealClearMarkets/TIPP Economic Optimism Index declined to 47.5 in March 2026 from 48.8 in February, missing market expectations of 50.1. The Six-Month Economic Outlook, which measures how consumers perceive the economy's prospects in the next six months, fell 1.8%, from 43.8 in February to 43.0 in March. The Personal Financial Outlook, a measure of how Americans feel about their own finances in the next six months, dropped 4.6% from its previous reading of 56.9 in February to 54.3 this month. Confidence in Federal Economic Policies, a proprietary RCM/TIPP measure of views on the effectiveness of government economic policies, slipped to 45.1 in March from 45.7 in February, a 1.3% drop.
2026-03-03
US Economic Sentiment Improves to 6-Month High
The RealClearMarkets/TIPP Economic Optimism Index for the US rose to 48.8 in February 2026, the highest since August and above market expectations of 47.9. The Six-Month Economic Outlook, which measures how consumers perceive the economy's prospects in the next six months, gained 1.2%, from 43.3 in January to 43.8 in February. The Personal Financial Outlook, a measure of how Americans feel about their own finances in the next six months, rose 3.6% from its previous reading of 54.9 in January to 56.9 this month. Confidence in Federal Economic Policies, a proprietary RCM/TIPP measure of views on the effectiveness of government economic policies, improved to 45.7 in February from 43.5 in January, a 5.1% gain.
2026-02-03