By (Reuters) – U.S. consumer sentiment rose to a seven-month high in early November, with a measure of households’ expectations for the future climbing to the highest in more than three years, a survey showed on Friday.
The University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index climbed to 73.0 this month, the highest since April, from 70.5 in October. The result exceeded the median estimate among economists polled by Reuters for a reading of 71.0.
The survey’s expectations index climbed nearly 6% to 78.5, the highest since July 2021.
“Expectations over personal finances climbed 6% in part due to strengthening income prospects, and short-run business conditions soared 9% in November,” survey Director Joanne Hsu said in a statement. “Long-run business conditions increased to its most favorable reading in nearly four years.”
As has been the case for several years now, details of the report showed a wide partisan skew in a survey completed before Tuesday’s presidential election in which Republican Donald Trump emerged the victor over Democrat Kamala Harris.
Year-ahead inflation expectations of 2.6% in November ticked down from October’s reading of 2.7% and were the lowest since December 2020. Longer-range inflation expectations edged up to 3.1% from 3.0% in October.
The Federal Reserve cut rates for the first time in four years in September by half a percentage point and delivered a second cut of a quarter percentage point on Thursday, two days after the election, and Fed Chair Jerome Powell flagged a cautious approach to further cuts.
