Americans Are Gloomier Than at Almost Any Time on Record, Michigan Survey Shows
Consumer sentiment is near its lowest point in seven decades of surveys, yet retail stocks just posted a strong monthly gain. Something between those two data points will decide how holiday shopping season ends for investors in retail ETFs.
The University of Michigan’s final October consumer sentiment index came in at 48.0 on October 23, 2026. The survey has produced about 680 monthly readings since November 1952, and only May 2026’s 44.8 is lower.
Retail stocks have not followed the mood. The SPDR S&P Retail ETF (NYSEARCA:XRT) has gained 6.76% over the past month and 3.48% for the year, even after it fell 1.65% to $87.65 on the day of the release.
The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEARCA:SPY) slipped 0.52% to $759.97. Retail fell more than the broad market, matching a survey that found the biggest drop in big-ticket purchases.
For investors with retail exposure heading into the holidays, the open question is whether consumer surveys or market prices offer a more accurate read on household spending.
What October’s Reading Actually Shows
The final figure was revised up from an initial 46.3, which was also the consensus forecast. It came in almost level with September’s 48.1, the third-lowest reading on record. It still marks a five-month low and sits below both October 2025’s 53.6 and June 2022’s 50.0, which was the lowest reading before this year.
“Sentiment is now 10% below a year ago and 15% less than February, just prior to the Iran conflict,” said Joanne Hsu, director of the Surveys of Consumers.
The current-conditions index fell to 46.7 from 50.9, the second-lowest on record behind May’s 45.8. The expectations index rose to 48.8 from 46.3. The initial current-conditions reading of 44.7 had been an all-time low before the revision.
“This month’s decline in the Current Conditions subindex was driven entirely by buying conditions for durables,” Hsu said. Durables are long-lasting goods such as cars and appliances, and buying conditions for them fell 18% amid higher interest rates and affordability concerns. XRT’s auto dealers, parts chains and electronics sellers rely on those sales.
Inflation Fears Meet a Rate-Hiking Fed
Year-ahead inflation expectations rose to 4.7% from 4.6%, and long-run expectations rose to 3.5% from 3.4%. Both are the highest since May. In September, the Federal Reserve raised rates by 25 basis points (hundredths of a percentage point), its first increase in three years, to a range of 3.75% to 4.00%. It decides again on October 28.
“Purchasing power continues to dominate consumer views of the economy,” Hsu said. Gains among Republicans and Democrats were offset by declines among independents ahead of the November 3 midterms. Year-ahead business conditions improved about 14% but remain 16% below last October.
Jim Baird, chief investment officer at Plante Moran Financial Advisors, said in early October that “consumers across the political spectrum are frustrated with rising prices and a sense of treading water financially.”
Shoppers are still spending.
Retail sales reached $745.0 billion in September, up 0.8% from August and the highest reading in a year. People often tell surveyors they feel worse and then keep spending, and that gap explains XRT’s rally.
Discretionary retailers still face risk because buyers usually finance cars, furniture and electronics, so higher rates combined with weak demand for durables cut directly into those sales.
Why XRT’s Equal Weighting Leaves It Exposed to Durables Weakness
Most of XRT’s positions sit near 1% to 2% of net assets. As a result, smaller auto dealers, apparel chains and specialty stores carry about as much weight as the discount and grocery names that tend to hold up when households cut back.
The rally of the past month prices in a strong holiday season, even as households pull back on big-ticket goods. SPY carries less exposure to this risk because its largest positions are technology companies whose sales depend less on whether a family buys its next car.
The next test is the initial November reading on November 6 at 10 a.m. ET. If buying conditions for durables rebound and the Fed holds rates on October 28, this call is wrong. If XRT falls below $82.10, its level a month ago, the market has started to agree.
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Omor Ibne Ehsan is a writer at 24/7 Wall St. He is a self-taught investor with a focus on growth, cyclical, and dividend equities that have strong fundamentals, value, and long-term potential. He also has an interest in high-risk, high-reward investments such as penny stocks.
