US consumer confidence fell to 89.4 in August, The Conference Board reported, down from a downwardly revised July reading cited as 90.2 in detailed release accounts and 90.3 in other summaries, missing estimates near 90.2 and marking a second straight monthly decline and the lowest level since January 2026. The Expectations Index remained below the sub-80 zone often viewed as a recession-risk warning—detailed figures showed a 5.8-point drop to 68.2—while descriptions of the Present Situation Index diverged, with the Conference Board breakdown showing a rebound to 121.2 even as other accounts said current conditions dipped. Households remained wary of lingering inflation and a softening labor market, including a gradual uptick in unemployment claims, as elevated gasoline prices and geopolitical tensions weighed during the survey window. The data arrive as the Federal Reserve is expected to begin cutting interest rates at its September meeting, though the modest confidence decline alone is unlikely to force a more aggressive easing path. Mixed consumer signals—resilient retail sales in some periods alongside a large July drop, a lower savings rate, rising credit-card debt, and weaker new-home sales—keep focus on whether caution turns into reduced spending.