According to CoinMeta, recently released survey data from the University of Michigan shows that due to concerns about deteriorating business conditions and rising inflation, consumer confidence in the United States has declined for the first time in three months. The preliminary value of the Consumer Confidence Index in August dropped to 51, below the final value of 55.2 in July, with economists expecting a median of 55. Consumers expect prices to rise by 4.3% in the coming year, a slight increase from last month, and significantly higher than the level before the Iran conflict erupted in February. They also predict that prices will rise at an annual rate of 3.3% over the next 5 to 10 years. The survey indicates that consumers' confidence in both short-term and long-term economic prospects has worsened, while concerns about unemployment have decreased. This survey covered responses collected from July 28 to August 10. During this period, the average national gasoline price in the United States remained above $4 per gallon. Another report shows that U.S. retail sales in July experienced the largest decline in over a year, due to consumers reducing purchases of cars and online stores.