July 2015 Small Business Optimism Index Increased 1.3 Points

Econintersect: The National Federation of Independent Business's (NFIB) optimism index improved from 94.1 to 95.4 – and still not above the 42 year average of 98.. The market was expecting the index between 93.9 to 96.0 with consensus at 95.0.

NFIB chief economist Bill Dunkelberg states:

A rollercoaster of optimism seems to be a familiar trend now. July has produced the most grudging of gains in the Index's history and is still not above the 42 year average of 98.0, and even further from the prerecession average of 99.5. This leaves current readings just over two points below the average and five points below the recovery's highest reading of 100.4 in December 2014.

Overall, the index clawed back a bit from the loss in June, but the best that can be said about it is that there was no further decline. Washington remains a mess and the basic message is that there is no second half surge in the wings waiting to take center stage.