American consumer confidence has declined for five consecutive months, matching the longest streak of declines since 2008.

U.S. economic data shows a significant divergence between 'consumer coolness and corporate warmth.' The continued weakness in the consumer confidence index reflects households' deep concerns about prices and employment, leading to cautious large-scale spending. Meanwhile, although the Richmond Fed manufacturing index remains in the contraction zone, it has rebounded significantly from -15 to -7, and the business, orders, and employment expectations indices for the next six months have all surged to positive highs, indicating that business entities are rapidly building confidence in the medium-term outlook.