September Michigan Consumer Sentiment Revised Up from Preliminary Print, Still Down From August

10:10 AM EDT, 09/25/2026 (MT Newswires) -- The University of Michigan consumer sentiment index was revised upwards Friday to a reading of 48.1 for September from 47.8 in the preliminary estimate, compared with expectations for a downward revision to 47.5 in a survey compiled by Bloomberg. That was still below the final reading of 51.7 in August. The current conditions index was unrevised at 50.9, below the 51.9 reading in August, while the expectations index was revised upwards to 46.3 from 45.8. The index was 51.5 in August. Respondents expected a 4.6% inflation rate over the next year and 3.4% annual inflation over the next five years, up from 4.0% and 3.3% respectively in August. "Overall, interviews reveal broad agreement across the political spectrum that the outlook for the economy has weakened since the beginning of the year," Michigan said. "After particularly large declines in sentiment this month, Republican sentiment is now 20% lower than January 2026; Democrats are down 13% over the same period." The twice-monthly Michigan Sentiment index measures consumer sentiment early in the current month (the preliminary estimate) and is then revised later in the month (the final estimate). The headline index is a combination of the current assessment and expectations for the near future. An increase in the reading suggests consumers are more confident, a positive for stocks if that confidence translates into spending.