The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index fell -1.3 pts to 97.4 in August (from 98.7 in July), with both the Present Situation Index (131.2) and Expectations Index (74.8) declining, the latter staying below the recession-warning threshold of 80.

• Job availability perceptions weakened for an eighth month, with 29.7% saying jobs were “plentiful” (down from 29.9%) and 20.0% saying jobs were “hard to get” (up from 18.9%).

• Inflation expectations rose to 6.2% (from 5.7%), marking the highest since April, as consumer write-ins increasingly cited tariffs and higher food and grocery prices.

• Expectations for future business conditions improved slightly, with 19.5% expecting improvement (vs 19.0%) and 21.9% expecting worsening (vs 22.7%).

• Income expectations softened, with 18.3% anticipating an increase (down from 18.7%) and 12.6% expecting a decrease (up from 11.8%).

• Buying intentions for cars strengthened, homebuying plans held steady, but discretionary purchases (TVs, tablets, dining out, entertainment) fell; vacation plans declined for a second month.