According to Odaily, the University of Michigan's consumer confidence survey at the end of January revealed signs of weakness. The overall index dropped to 71.1 from the preliminary figure of 73.2 earlier in the month and 74.0 at the end of December. This marks the lowest level since before the election, when it was 70.5 in October, indicating increased skepticism as the new government prepares to take office.
Inflation expectations have maintained most of the gains since the election, which may be related to this sentiment. The median annual inflation expectation remained at the initial January figure of 3.3%, higher than December's 2.8% and October's 2.7%. The five-year interest rate expectation decreased slightly from 3.3% at the beginning of the month to 3.2%, yet it remains above the 3.0% recorded in December and October, reaching the highest end-of-month rate since mid-2008. Meanwhile, the current U.S. dollar index (DXY) fell by 15 points in the short term, now reported at 107.25.