US Small-Business Optimism Hits Highest Since 2018 Post Election
- NFIB index jumped again last month after November surge
- Uncertainty index posts big drop upon clarity of policy path
A customer at a hardware store in San Francisco.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
US small-business optimism extended its surge in December to the highest level since October 2018, buoyed by expectations of favorable policies under President-elect Donald Trump.
The National Federation of Independent Business optimism index rose 3.4 points last month to 105.1, following the sharpest monthly increase on record in November. Seven of the 10 index components improved, led by a 16-point jump in the net share of businesses expecting better business conditions — bringing that measure to the highest in monthly data since 2002.