“Consumers broadly expect inflation to accelerate, and this year’s increases in inflation expectations are not limited to one part of the political spectrum,” Hsu wrote. “The fact that aggregate consumer spending has been relatively resilient despite negative views of the economy provides another reason for caution. If part of consumption currently reflects precautionary spending to avoid future price hikes, disinflation may be even more difficult to achieve.” https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/10/23/us-consumer-sentiment-hits-a-near-record-low-before-midterm-elections?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub