The following is fromGallup News.
More Americans say they expect the US economy and stock market to improve in the months ahead than say either will get worse, according to anew Gallup survey.
Looking ahead six months, 50% of US adults say they think the stock market will rise, while 25% say it will fall. Seventeen percent say they expect the market to remain about the same. Views on economic growth show a similar pattern, with 49% saying they expect growth to increase, 36% saying it will decline, and 13% saying it will stay about the same.
Expectations for interest rates are more mixed. Forty-one percent say they believe interest rates will fall, while 36% say they expect rates to rise. Twenty percent say they think rates will remain at current levels.
Despite optimism about growth and the stock market, many Americans say they expect continued economic challenges. Sixty-two percent say they believe inflation will increase over the next six months, while 26% say they expect it to decrease and 9% say it will stay about the same. Half of Americans, 50%, say they expect unemployment to rise, while 32% say they think it will fall and 16% say it will remain unchanged.
Economic expectations differ sharply by political affiliation. Republicans are far more likely than Democrats and independents to say they expect positive outcomes across all five measures Gallup tracked, including economic growth, the stock market, interest rates, unemployment, and inflation. Democrats and independents are more likely to say they expect conditions to worsen, particularly when it comes to inflation and unemployment.
The findings are based on a Gallup poll conducted January 2–17, 2026, among a national sample of US adults.
For more information, read the full articlehere.
Source: Sharyl Attkisson
