Stocks at Record High While Consumer Confidence Falls to Seven-Month Low

U.S. stocks closed at an all-time high on August 25, 2026, as cheaper oil pulled down bond yields (the return investors earn on government debt). The same day, the Conference Board's consumer confidence index fell to 89.4 — a seven-month low — with 61.3% expecting higher rates and inflation expectations rising. Households and markets bet on opposite outcomes; one is wrong.