Uncertainty around US economic policy, based on media coverage, fell for a second month in a row in August. This drop is likely due to Jerome Powell’s speech on 23 August at Jackson Hole, where the Chair of the Federal Reserve stated that the time has come for policy to adjust, meaning it is time to lower rates. This announcement echoed the views of some Fed officials, as expressed in the Federal Reserve’s minutes published on 21 August.
In August, US companies reported increased uncertainty about their revenue growth, for the second consecutive month. This increase likely reflected the renewed concerns about the extent of the US economic slowdown, against a backdrop of fiscal and geopolitical uncertainty in the run-up to the presidential election on 5 November.
