WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans’ view of the U.S. economy improved this month, but Americans remain concerned about the impact of tariffs on their economic futures.
The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index rose two points to 97.2 in July, up from 95.2 the previous month.
The increase in confidence was in line with analysts’ forecasts.
In April, American consumers’ confidence in the economy sank to its lowest reading since May 2020, largely due to anxiety over the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
A measure of Americans’ short-term expectations for their income, business conditions and the job market rose 4.5 points to 74.4, however that’s still well below 80, the marker that can signal a recession ahead.
Consumers’ assessments of their current economic situation inched down by 1.5 points to 131.5.
A sell-off for Oracle is weighing on Wall Street as investors question whether its big spending on artificial-intelligence technology will pay off. The S&P 500 was mostly unchanged Thursday and hovering around its all-time high set in October. Drops for AI-related stocks dragged the Nasdaq composite down 0.6%. Oracle at one point was heading toward its worst loss since 2001 on worries about how much it plans to spend on AI infrastructure. But most stocks on Wall Street rose, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 600 points. Treasury yields slipped after a report showed more U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits.
The U.S. stock market is flirting with its all-time high after the Federal Reserve cut its main interest rate to bolster the job market. The S&P 500 rose 0.8% Wednesday and was on track to squeak past its all-time closing high, which was set in October. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 559 points, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.4%. Wall Street loves lower interest rates because they can boost the economy and goose prices for investments, even if they have the potential of making inflation worse. Treasury yields eased in the bond market.
The U.S. stock market is drifting near its record levels following reactions to profit reports from Macy’s, Marvell Technologies and other companies. The S&P 500 added 0.4% Wednesday and climbed within 0.5% of its all-time high set in late October. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 428 points, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.2%. Treasury yields eased in the bond market following some mixed reports on the U.S. economy. One suggested hiring was much weaker in November than economists expected, while a second said growth for U.S. services businesses was better than expected.
The Enhanced Games is going public in two ways — with a new listing on the Nadsaq stock exchange and also by offering a direct-to-consumer business focused on performance products.
U.S. stocks are rising following updates on the economy that kept alive hopes for a coming cut to interest rates. The S&P 500 rose 0.7%, as 4 out of every 5 stocks within the index climbed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 562 points, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.4%. Nvidia weighed on the market after a report suggested Meta Platforms may spend billions on AI chips from Alphabet instead of it. Treasury yields eased after reports on U.S. retail sales and inflation kept traders betting on a good chance for a cut to interest rates in December.
The U.S. stock market is rallying after it seemed to successfully pass a couple of crucial tests. Not only did Nvidia provide another blockbuster profit report that suggested AI superstar stocks can keep rising, a mixed report on the U.S. jobs market Tuesday also kept alive hopes for more cuts to interest rates by the Federal Reserve. The S&P 500 rose 1.7% Thursday and pulled closer to its all-time high set almost a month ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 581 points, and the Nasdaq composite jumped 2.2%. Walmart also rose after delivering better-than-expected results.
