US consumer sentiment just hit a brutal milestone—the latest assessment of current economic conditions clocked in at 50.4 points, marking the lowest reading ever recorded. That's a 5-point drop from 2022's trough and an 8-point plunge compared to the 2008 financial crisis lows. To put the severity in perspective, even the economic malaise of 1980 didn't push sentiment this far down—the index stood 11 points higher back then. When traditional economic indicators flash red signals of this magnitude, market participants start asking hard questions about asset allocation and portfolio positioning.