Consumer sentiment revised lower to 52.9 in December

Economic Sentiment and Inflation Metrics - The final December reading for the University of Michigan sentiment index decreased to 52.9%, marking the weakest level since November's 51 [1] - Current conditions also saw a decline, with the index dropping to 50.4%, setting a new all-time low, previously at 50.7% [2] - Expectations fell to 54.6%, the weakest since November when it was 51 [3] - The one-year inflation rate increased slightly to 4.2%, while the 5 to 10-year inflation rate remained unchanged at 3.2% [3] Market Reaction - Despite the weaker-than-expected economic data, equity markets, particularly the Dow Jones Industrial Average, reached new session highs [4] - The University of Michigan sentiment index has not aligned with typical correlations to equity market movements [4]