Inflation and Consumer Confidence Updates Set to Dominate Wall Street

Next week, Wall Street will receive crucial updates on consumer confidence and inflation, two closely-watched measures that have been stubbornly high this year.

The Conference Board's latest consumer confidence report is scheduled for release on Tuesday, with expectations of another decline in August following the previous month's drop.

This trend of weak consumer confidence has persisted throughout 2026 due to inflation remaining above the 3% target rate. The U.S. war with Iran played a significant role in fueling inflation by disrupting global oil supplies and subsequently increasing gasoline prices, squeezing household budgets.

On Wednesday, another key inflation update will be released when the U.S. reports its personal consumption expenditures (PCE) for July, which is the Federal Reserve's preferred measure of inflation. This report has also shown that the rate of inflation remains above 3%.