Passing along an update from our monthly survey focused on macro dynamics and Covid sentiment/behaviors. Please let us know if you have any questions about the deck.
Open Report:Bespoke – October Macro and Covid Tracker, US
Key Takeaways and Charts:
1. Covid concerns retreated m/m. Concerns had increased in September relative to prior months.
2. Consumers are taking fewer measures to avoid catching Covid relative to prior months. One measure that respondents have been continuing to take on a consistent basis is the % of consumers working from home.
3. Consumer confidence in the economy has slid in the past few months after reaching a post-Covid high in March/April of 2021.
4. Consumers are increasingly optimistic about unemployment across the broader US going forward, but hours worked in the last week among the employed remain stubbornly low relative to pre-pandemic levels.
5. Sentiment toward personal finances are net positive and recovered relative to series lows at the beginning of the pandemic.
6. Discretionary spending plans are positive and are at all-time highs for our survey.
7. Consumers have noticed increases in gas prices and expectations for how much they think prices for goods and services will increase in the next year are at all-time highs. Interestingly, expectations for price changes across future time frames have converged. IE – prior to Covid the weighted average between expected price changes in the next year, five years, and ten years were evenly spaced. In recent months, the expectation for the next year is closer to the expectation for the next five and ten years.
8. The percentage of consumers who follow the stock market on a regular basis remains at series highs. Among those who follow the stock market, sentiment of the market is net positive and at series highs.
9. Among those aware of Bitcoin, the % who are interested in buying Bitcoin and the % who think Bitcoin would be a good investment at the moment increased m/m to series highs.
