US Consumer Sentiment Drops to Five-Month Low on Prices

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Bloomberg

October 24, 2025 at 10:00 AM EDT
Updated on October 24, 2025 at 10:17 AM EDT


US consumer sentiment fell in October to a five-month low, as worries persisted about stubbornly high prices and the impact on their finances.

The final October sentiment index fell to 53.6 from 55.1 in September, a deterioration from the preliminary reading, according to the University of Michigan. A measure of current conditions dropped to the lowest since August 2022.



Consumers expect prices to rise 3.9% over the next five to 10 years, more than the 3.7% they anticipated a month ago, the data released Friday showed. Respondents expect prices to rise at an annual rate of 4.6% over the next year, down slightly from 4.7% a month earlier.

“Overall, consumers perceive few material changes in economic circumstances from last month; inflation and high prices remain at the forefront of consumers’ minds,” Joanne Hsu, director of the survey, said in a statement. “There was little evidence this month that consumers connect the federal government shutdown to the economy.”

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-24/us-consumer-sentiment-drops-to-five-month-low-on-price-concerns

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No paywall (gift)

[MarineCombatEngineer]

1. And yet, according to Been A Dick Donald and his sycophants, the economy if in the best shape ever,

grocery prices are down, fuel prices are down, prescriptions are down, etc.

Obviously these clowns haven't been to a store, gas station, pharmacy, etc.

[FalloutShelter]

2. Yep...

"Who you gonna believe? Me, or your lying wallet"

[Deminpenn]

3. Gas prices are actually down

and have been dropping recently.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

4. They're up, then they're down, then they're up again,

it's like riding a roller coaster.
I use diesel for my trucks and the price of diesel has remained pretty much static with a few cents here and there both ways.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. They are switching to the cheaper "winter blend" (including here in PA)

and normally go down around this time anyway. But they weren't down all summer despite the glut and I know Wednesday, I saw a few stations around me had finally dropped below $3/gal ($2.99).

[Deminpenn]

6. Just pointing out that factually gas prices

are down. They aren't under $3 yet here in my area though.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. It's "seasonal" so they normally go down this time of year

and the prices have been running in the $3.19 - $3.20/gal here until this week.

But purportedly earlier in the year, they were touting lower prices and trying to extrapolate that "nationally" (and it ended up as a Fact Check entry - https://www.factcheck.org/2025/04/trumps-false-claims-about-gas-egg-prices/).

[progree]

8. From today's CPI report: gasoline prices up 4.1% from August to September, seasonally adjusted

https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm

Last 7 months, month-over-month changes (%):
--6.3, --0.1, --2.6, 1.0, --2.2, 1.9, 4.1

Year-over-year: --0.5%

Double dashes used to depict minus to stand out better.

[BumRushDaShow]

9. And that is with the fluctuations of crude

in the $61/bbl range for awhile.

[progree]

10. Here's a perpetually self-updating graph of Nymex WTI crude

Last 6 months.



Typically takes 6 hours after close to update, sometimes 2-3 days.

At this moment, it's $61.49 (not perpetually self-updating, darn)

[BumRushDaShow]

12. I was just looking at the MarketWatch version of that

and they had one that did a YOY.

(snapshot a couple minutes ago)

[Raftergirl]

11. Will be interesting to see what the consumer sentiment will be once the health insurance increases are

published.

The increases are going to be mind blowing, even for those with employer health insurance.