U.S. Small Business Sales Hold Steady in July, Extending 2026's Modest Growth
Rhea-AI Summary
Fiserv (NASDAQ: FISV) released its July 2026 Fiserv Small Business Index, showing U.S. small business sales up 1.6% year over year, the second-strongest growth rate of 2026. The seasonally adjusted Index held at 145, as a 3.2% rise in average ticket size offset a 1.6% decline in transactions.
Food Services and Drinking Places sales fell 0.8% YoY, with Limited-Service Restaurants down 3.4% YoY, while Full-Service Restaurants inched up 0.6% YoY. Gas Station sales remained elevated at +14.2% YoY. Retail sales grew 1.9% YoY on 2.2% higher transactions, despite slightly lower tickets. Essentials and Goods outpaced Discretionary and Services, with Goods growth driven entirely by higher transaction volumes.
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Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 21 | Embedded finance partnership | Positive | -2.1% | Exclusive embedded banking and payments collaboration covering Datavault AI marketplaces and exchanges |
| Jul 14 | Earnings date announcement | Neutral | +1.7% | Announced second-quarter results release date and investor webcast timing |
| Jul 06 | Small business data | Positive | -1.1% | Reported June sales growth led by higher tickets despite declining transactions |
| Jun 24 | Tender offer results | Neutral | +1.9% | Reported tendered principal amounts and intended purchases of outstanding notes |
| Jun 23 | Tender offer pricing | Neutral | +1.9% | Priced cash tender offers for outstanding 2027 and 2049 senior notes |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Recent history showed divergence on positive operational and partnership news, while neutral financing notices were followed by positive price reactions.
Key Terms
seasonally adjusted technical
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Fiserv Small Business Index finds sales increased
MILWAUKEE, Aug. 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a leading global provider of payments and financial services technology, has published the Fiserv Small Business Index for July 2026, showing modest small business sales growth as higher average tickets offset softer foot traffic and selective consumer spending. Sales increased
The seasonally adjusted Fiserv Small Business Index remained at 145 in July. Growth was driven by higher average tickets, which rose +
“July’s results reinforce a consistent theme in 2026: small businesses are still growing, but growth is increasingly dependent on higher tickets rather than stronger traffic,” said Prasanna Dhore, Chief Data Officer, Fiserv. “Consumers remain engaged, particularly in select retail categories, but continued pressure in restaurants and the shift toward value-oriented spending show households are being more selective with where and how they spend.”
Key Takeaways
Restaurant traffic stayed under pressure
Food Services and Drinking Places sales slipped -
Gasoline eased while grocery steadied
Gas Station sales remained elevated (+
Retail kept its footing on stronger traffic
Total retail sales increased +
The tug-of-war between needs and wants continued
Essentials grew +
To access the full Fiserv Small Business Index, visit fiserv.com/FiservSmallBusinessIndex.
About the Fiserv Small Business Index®
The Fiserv Small Business Index is published during the first week of every month and differentiated by its direct aggregation of consumer spending activity within the U.S. small business ecosystem. Rather than relying on survey or sentiment data, the Fiserv Small Business Index is derived from point-of-sale transaction data, including card, cash, and check transactions in-store and online across approximately 2 million U.S. small businesses, including hundreds of thousands leveraging the Clover point-of-sale and business management platform.
Benchmarked to 2019, the Fiserv Small Business Index provides a numeric value measuring consumer spending, with an accompanying transaction index measuring customer traffic. Through a simple interface, users can access data by region, state, and/or across business types categorized by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Featuring the most detailed classification available, the Fiserv Small Business Index provides visibility into 56 standardized level-6 national industries across 26 subsectors and 13 sectors, allowing users to track sales trends with precision and understand the diverse dynamics shaping the U.S. small business economy.
About Fiserv
Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a Fortune 500 company, is a global leader uniting commerce and finance. The company powers sustained growth and innovation at scale for financial institutions and businesses worldwide across payments, account processing, digital banking, merchant acquiring, network services, e-commerce, and Clover®, the all-in-one business management platform. Fiserv is a member of the S&P 500® Index and one of FORTUNE® America’s Most Innovative Companies. Visit fiserv.com and follow on social media for more information and the latest company news.
For more information contact:
Media Relations:
Chase Wallace
Director, Communications
+1 470-481-2555
chase.wallace@fiserv.com
