Small business morale in the U.S. sunk in March as the conflict in the Middle East led to a surge in oil prices that raised cost concern for consumers and businesses, results of a survey by the National Federation of Independent Business showed on Tuesday.
The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index fell 3.0 points to 95.8 in March, which is below its 52-year average of 98.0. Economists had forecast a higher score of 98.6 for the month. The industry group said the last time the Optimism Index fell below its historical average was April 2025.
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June 19, 2026 16:46 ET Major central banks continued to dominate the economic news flow this week too, led by the Federal Reserve, as they announced their latest policy decisions. The Federal Reserve policy session was in focus as it was the first to be led by the new chief Kevin Warsh. In Europe, central banks of the U.K. and Switzerland announced their rate decisions. In Asia, the Bank of Japan drew attention for its policy moves, while data out of China threw some light on the state of the economy.