The NFIB Business Optimism Index for the United States came in at 98.7 in August, undershooting market expectations of 99.3. The reading points to softer sentiment among small businesses than economists had pencilled in.
Index Undershoots Expectations
The data mark a miss versus forecasts rather than a beat, with the index tracking 0.6 points below consensus.
Implications for Small Business Conditions
The release adds a fresh datapoint for assessing the near-term direction of small-firm conditions in August.
