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US Small Business Optimism rises above consensus in August  - Wells Fargo

According to analysts from Wells Fargo, today’s NFIB report showed that business owners remain optimistic about sales and are increasingly looking to expand their business.

Key Quotes: 

“Small Business Optimism inched upwards by 0.1 point in August to 105.3, beating consensus estimates.”

“With half of the NFIB Small Business survey’s 10 components rising in August, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Optimism Index was essentially unchanged in August, rising just 0.1 point.”

“Taxes remain the most pressing issue facing small business owners, while the tight labor market has risen to the second greatest issue. Thirty-one percent of owners report they have at least one open position they are unable to fill.”

“With sales expected to increase and less regulatory headwinds, a growing number of business owners feel now is a good time to expand, which appears to be bolstering capital spending.”

Author

Matías Salord

Matías started in financial markets in 2008, after graduating in Economics. He was trained in chart analysis and then became an educator. He also studied Journalism. He started writing analyses for specialized websites before joining FXStreet.

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