Small business optimism just slipped again, and it may be telling us more about the economy than you think.

In this episode CIO Megan Horneman dives into the latest NFIB Small Business Optimism Index and breaks down why this matters for investors, the economy, and future Fed decisions. With five out of the last six months showing a decline in sentiment, are business owners signaling deeper trouble ahead?

💡 Megan covers:

- Declining plans for capex and inventory growth

- Weak earnings expectations from small businesses

- Inflation signals from rising selling price expectations

- The looming impact of tariffs and Washington headlines

- What this means for CPI, GDP, and the Fed’s next move

👉 Plus: What to watch ahead of earnings season and how tariff extensions could disrupt markets into August.

📉 Main Street may be more important than Wall Street right now. Tune in to understand the undercurrents shaping the U.S. economy.

🎧 Listen to all episodes: https://marketswithmegan.fm

#MarketsWithMegan #SmallBusiness #EconomicOutlook #NFIB #FedWatch #InterestRates #Inflation #CPI #GDP #BusinessConfidence #Tariffs #MainStreetEconomy

https://youtu.be/gOSglJHaoBI

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