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U.S. Consumer Confidence Edges Up in December, Overall Sentiment Remains Cautious

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**December 5th Update** University of Michigan Consumer Surveys Director Joanne Hsu reported Wednesday (Dec. 5) that the preliminary December Consumer Confidence Index rose 2.3 points to 53.3, with the increase within the margin of error. ### Key Highlights: - This month’s gain was **primarily driven by young consumers**. - Views on current economic conditions showed little change, but expectations improved: *personal financial expectations rose 13%*. - Upward trends spanned all age, income, education, and political affiliation groups. ### Notable Caveats: - The December Personal Financial Expectations Index remains **nearly 12% below year-start levels**. - Labor market expectations edged up slightly but remain sluggish. - Consumers noted minor improvements from November, but overall sentiment stays cautious—**high price pressures are a top concern**. ### Inflation Outlook: - 1-year inflation expectation: 4.1% (down from 4.5% in Nov.) → lowest since Jan. 2025, *4th straight monthly drop*. - Short-term expectations still exceed Jan. 2025’s 3.3%. - Long-term expectation: 3.2% (down from 3.4% in Nov.) → matches Jan. 2025 reading. (Source: Jin10)
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In the past month, Circle has minted a total of 10 billion USDC.

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Cloudflare: Today's Outage Not Due to a Cyberattack, Resulted in Approximately 25 Minutes of Downtime

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