{"success":true,"data":{"pressRelease":{"id":"18989","rtpr_id":"nGNXbJ5mDz","ticker":"FISV","exchange":"NASDAQ","all_tickers":["FISV"],"title":"Higher Prices Sustained Small Business Sales Growth in April, Fiserv Data Shows","author":"Globe Newswire","published_at":"2026-05-04T12:30:00.358Z","article_body":"MILWAUKEE, May 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fiserv, Inc.\n(https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=yrErzWoxaGJrV5aj7P_BvN5BkrDc7WZDztAr7iasC0hIWW6JTm_TWUZsnoFiwmTajHq5jCOzPj7ovKRX20TMOg==)\n(NASDAQ: FISV), a leading global provider of payments and financial services\ntechnology, has published the Fiserv Small Business Index\n(https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=yrErzWoxaGJrV5aj7P_BvCh3mjaqEzUbWkceYA1gm2fFT5s_EbXusUOAyFtzwHO5yIe9P1yzivShGgR84fxm9LHohdAHUrv6Z6vxH50EgTSXSwJNecTEzF2voEekkT_Cfqn1zMzVnlEJasJSnlR_iw==)\nfor April 2026, indicating that U.S. small business sales growth was driven\nlargely by the higher prices consumers are paying for goods and services.\n\nThe seasonally adjusted Index remained at 144. Small business sales rose\n(+1.1%) year over year, supported by higher average tickets (+2.8%). This\nmarked the largest year-over-year average ticket increase since 2022 and the\nfifth consecutive month with average tickets growing more than +2.0%.\nTransactions (foot traffic) declined (-1.7%) year over year. On a monthly\nbasis, both sales and transactions were flat (+0.0%) compared to March.\n\n“In April, small business spending remained resilient on the surface, but\nsales growth continued to be sustained by price-driven gains rather than\nincreased demand,” said Prasanna Dhore, Chief Data Officer, Fiserv. “As\nprices stay elevated, consumers are adjusting how they spend. They are\nvisiting less often, prioritizing value and moderating nonessential categories\n– behaviors that sustain dollars spent while keeping overall foot traffic\nmuted.”\n\nKey Takeaways\n\nRestaurant performance remained soft in April \nRestaurant sales declined year over year (-1.6%) and month over month (-0.2%).\nLimited-Service Restaurants experienced notable declines, with sales down\n(-4.8%) year over year and foot traffic falling (-5.1%) even as average\ntickets held steady.\n\nFull-Service Restaurants posted modest gains year over year (+0.8%) and month\nover month (+0.2%), despite flat foot traffic (-0.1% year over year, +0.3%\nmonth over month) and rising average tickets (+0.9%) compared to 2025. These\nresults reinforce a continuing shift to Full-Service dining as consumers\nbecome more selective amid fewer overall visits.\n\nRising fuel costs appear to be impacting other high-frequency categories \nGas Station sales grew (+4.4% month over month and +19.0% year over year),\ndriven by higher average tickets. Rising fuel costs likely contributed to\nhigher average tickets across service segments that are likely to pass\ngas-related costs on to consumers, including Professional Services (+9.8%),\nTransportation and Warehousing (+11.7%), and Administrative Support Services\n(+11.0%).\n\nAt the same time, Grocery spending softened, with sales (-2.3%) and foot\ntraffic (-0.8%) both declining year over year. Similar caution appeared in\nBuilding Materials, where sales (-1.4%) and transactions (-2.1%) declined\nmonth over month, though year-over-year traffic was comparatively strong\n(+3.6%).\n\nYear-over-year trends for Essentials highlight ongoing pressure \nEssential category sales increased (+1.9%), supported by average ticket growth\n(+3.5%). Discretionary sales rose (+0.4%), even as average tickets increased\n(+2.2%). Foot traffic declined at similar rates across both Essentials (-1.6%)\nand Discretionary (-1.8%).\n\nGoods and Services sales reflect divergent dynamics\nGoods sales grew (+0.2%) year over year as foot traffic increased (+0.9%),\nwhile average tickets declined (-0.7%) following strong prior-year demand.\nServices sales rose (+1.5%) year over year, driven by higher average tickets\n(+4.2%) even as transactions declined (-1.7%).\n\nTo access the full Fiserv Small Business Index,\nvisit fiserv.com/FiservSmallBusinessIndex.\n(https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=VOJzgKOVoQxhLFtoOF_UysRA0ZwZSRnVXxT4d1pnisRBKqlAwWXld394sL67CvNamf_P_WoN2BHK6o6npiMHc_woLsWTWEY2YNpniJ_RiKLiKbWmV5pl0bJoQK2osntDD0y5TpsAnjqUM8z6esAFs2kiTkdw5fXCy8e3N80E-pc=)\n\nAbout the Fiserv Small Business Index(®)\n\nThe Fiserv Small Business Index is published during the first week of every\nmonth and differentiated by its direct aggregation of consumer spending\nactivity within the U.S. small business ecosystem. Rather than relying on\nsurvey or sentiment data, the Fiserv Small Business Index is derived from\npoint-of-sale transaction data, including card, cash, and check transactions\nin-store and online across approximately 2 million U.S. small businesses,\nincluding hundreds of thousands leveraging the Clover point-of-sale and\nbusiness management platform.\n\nBenchmarked to 2019, the Fiserv Small Business Index provides a numeric value\nmeasuring consumer spending, with an accompanying transaction index measuring\ncustomer traffic. Through a simple interface, users can access data by region,\nstate, and/or across business types categorized by the North American Industry\nClassification System (NAICS). Featuring the most detailed classification\navailable, the Fiserv Small Business Index provides visibility into 56\nstandardized level-6 national industries across 26 subsectors and 13 sectors,\nallowing users to track sales trends with precision and understand the diverse\ndynamics shaping the U.S. small business economy. \n\nAbout Fiserv\nFiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a Fortune 500 company, moves more than money. As\na global leader in payments and financial technology, the company helps\nclients achieve best-in-class results through a commitment to innovation and\nexcellence in areas including account processing and digital banking\nsolutions; card issuer processing and network services; payments; e-commerce;\nmerchant acquiring and processing; and Clover(®), the world’s smartest\npoint-of-sale system and business management platform. Fiserv is a member of\nthe S&P 500(®) Index and one of TIME Magazine’s Most Influential\nCompanies™. Visit fiserv.com\n(https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=VOJzgKOVoQxhLFtoOF_UyrdI2lN0SPuCEkUk9WYcdDvTPrwqzo2_A4iWepHpRvrqzqbwSwdAnR6cyGqoCrmXAg==) and follow\non social media\n(https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=QUXJ47mks57ImWwxhga88VXDu9O2-w8SS7KegyTeb25f5wkwmtHbqLMvwovyckAkymcNdmFPHVNJTFQF4OR33qh2DquBpbDJATboAkOUWqajvWO_rjttDYy8khExdLGzHbPX-m9qAzqUvpfkKC38Rw==) for\nmore information and the latest company news. \n\nFor more information contact:\nMedia Relations:\nChase Wallace\nDirector, Communications\n+1 470-481-2555\nchase.wallace@fiserv.com\n\n(https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7111802d-4b4a-487f-a8cf-a7ccda50586e)\n\n\n\nGlobeNewswire, Inc. 2026","article_body_html":"","raw_payload":{"data":{"id":"nGNXbJ5mDz","title":"Higher Prices Sustained Small Business Sales Growth in April, Fiserv Data Shows","author":"Globe Newswire","ticker":"FISV","created":"2026-05-04T12:30:00.358Z","tickers":["FISV"],"exchange":"NASDAQ","article_body":"MILWAUKEE, May 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fiserv, Inc.\n(https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=yrErzWoxaGJrV5aj7P_BvN5BkrDc7WZDztAr7iasC0hIWW6JTm_TWUZsnoFiwmTajHq5jCOzPj7ovKRX20TMOg==)\n(NASDAQ: FISV), a leading global provider of payments and financial services\ntechnology, has published the Fiserv Small Business Index\n(https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=yrErzWoxaGJrV5aj7P_BvCh3mjaqEzUbWkceYA1gm2fFT5s_EbXusUOAyFtzwHO5yIe9P1yzivShGgR84fxm9LHohdAHUrv6Z6vxH50EgTSXSwJNecTEzF2voEekkT_Cfqn1zMzVnlEJasJSnlR_iw==)\nfor April 2026, indicating that U.S. small business sales growth was driven\nlargely by the higher prices consumers are paying for goods and services.\n\nThe seasonally adjusted Index remained at 144. Small business sales rose\n(+1.1%) year over year, supported by higher average tickets (+2.8%). This\nmarked the largest year-over-year average ticket increase since 2022 and the\nfifth consecutive month with average tickets growing more than +2.0%.\nTransactions (foot traffic) declined (-1.7%) year over year. On a monthly\nbasis, both sales and transactions were flat (+0.0%) compared to March.\n\n“In April, small business spending remained resilient on the surface, but\nsales growth continued to be sustained by price-driven gains rather than\nincreased demand,” said Prasanna Dhore, Chief Data Officer, Fiserv. “As\nprices stay elevated, consumers are adjusting how they spend. They are\nvisiting less often, prioritizing value and moderating nonessential categories\n– behaviors that sustain dollars spent while keeping overall foot traffic\nmuted.”\n\nKey Takeaways\n\nRestaurant performance remained soft in April \nRestaurant sales declined year over year (-1.6%) and month over month (-0.2%).\nLimited-Service Restaurants experienced notable declines, with sales down\n(-4.8%) year over year and foot traffic falling (-5.1%) even as average\ntickets held steady.\n\nFull-Service Restaurants posted modest gains year over year (+0.8%) and month\nover month (+0.2%), despite flat foot traffic (-0.1% year over year, +0.3%\nmonth over month) and rising average tickets (+0.9%) compared to 2025. These\nresults reinforce a continuing shift to Full-Service dining as consumers\nbecome more selective amid fewer overall visits.\n\nRising fuel costs appear to be impacting other high-frequency categories \nGas Station sales grew (+4.4% month over month and +19.0% year over year),\ndriven by higher average tickets. Rising fuel costs likely contributed to\nhigher average tickets across service segments that are likely to pass\ngas-related costs on to consumers, including Professional Services (+9.8%),\nTransportation and Warehousing (+11.7%), and Administrative Support Services\n(+11.0%).\n\nAt the same time, Grocery spending softened, with sales (-2.3%) and foot\ntraffic (-0.8%) both declining year over year. Similar caution appeared in\nBuilding Materials, where sales (-1.4%) and transactions (-2.1%) declined\nmonth over month, though year-over-year traffic was comparatively strong\n(+3.6%).\n\nYear-over-year trends for Essentials highlight ongoing pressure \nEssential category sales increased (+1.9%), supported by average ticket growth\n(+3.5%). Discretionary sales rose (+0.4%), even as average tickets increased\n(+2.2%). Foot traffic declined at similar rates across both Essentials (-1.6%)\nand Discretionary (-1.8%).\n\nGoods and Services sales reflect divergent dynamics\nGoods sales grew (+0.2%) year over year as foot traffic increased (+0.9%),\nwhile average tickets declined (-0.7%) following strong prior-year demand.\nServices sales rose (+1.5%) year over year, driven by higher average tickets\n(+4.2%) even as transactions declined (-1.7%).\n\nTo access the full Fiserv Small Business Index,\nvisit fiserv.com/FiservSmallBusinessIndex.\n(https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=VOJzgKOVoQxhLFtoOF_UysRA0ZwZSRnVXxT4d1pnisRBKqlAwWXld394sL67CvNamf_P_WoN2BHK6o6npiMHc_woLsWTWEY2YNpniJ_RiKLiKbWmV5pl0bJoQK2osntDD0y5TpsAnjqUM8z6esAFs2kiTkdw5fXCy8e3N80E-pc=)\n\nAbout the Fiserv Small Business Index(®)\n\nThe Fiserv Small Business Index is published during the first week of every\nmonth and differentiated by its direct aggregation of consumer spending\nactivity within the U.S. small business ecosystem. Rather than relying on\nsurvey or sentiment data, the Fiserv Small Business Index is derived from\npoint-of-sale transaction data, including card, cash, and check transactions\nin-store and online across approximately 2 million U.S. small businesses,\nincluding hundreds of thousands leveraging the Clover point-of-sale and\nbusiness management platform.\n\nBenchmarked to 2019, the Fiserv Small Business Index provides a numeric value\nmeasuring consumer spending, with an accompanying transaction index measuring\ncustomer traffic. Through a simple interface, users can access data by region,\nstate, and/or across business types categorized by the North American Industry\nClassification System (NAICS). Featuring the most detailed classification\navailable, the Fiserv Small Business Index provides visibility into 56\nstandardized level-6 national industries across 26 subsectors and 13 sectors,\nallowing users to track sales trends with precision and understand the diverse\ndynamics shaping the U.S. small business economy. \n\nAbout Fiserv\nFiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a Fortune 500 company, moves more than money. As\na global leader in payments and financial technology, the company helps\nclients achieve best-in-class results through a commitment to innovation and\nexcellence in areas including account processing and digital banking\nsolutions; card issuer processing and network services; payments; e-commerce;\nmerchant acquiring and processing; and Clover(®), the world’s smartest\npoint-of-sale system and business management platform. Fiserv is a member of\nthe S&P 500(®) Index and one of TIME Magazine’s Most Influential\nCompanies™. Visit fiserv.com\n(https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=VOJzgKOVoQxhLFtoOF_UyrdI2lN0SPuCEkUk9WYcdDvTPrwqzo2_A4iWepHpRvrqzqbwSwdAnR6cyGqoCrmXAg==) and follow\non social media\n(https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=QUXJ47mks57ImWwxhga88VXDu9O2-w8SS7KegyTeb25f5wkwmtHbqLMvwovyckAkymcNdmFPHVNJTFQF4OR33qh2DquBpbDJATboAkOUWqajvWO_rjttDYy8khExdLGzHbPX-m9qAzqUvpfkKC38Rw==) for\nmore information and the latest company news. \n\nFor more information contact:\nMedia Relations:\nChase Wallace\nDirector, Communications\n+1 470-481-2555\nchase.wallace@fiserv.com\n\n(https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7111802d-4b4a-487f-a8cf-a7ccda50586e)\n\n\n\nGlobeNewswire, Inc. 2026"},"type":"article","timestamp":"2026-05-04T12:30:00.428040394Z","server_sent_at_ms":1777897800428},"received_at":"2026-05-04T12:30:00.486Z","source_url":"https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/05/04/3286696/0/en/higher-prices-sustained-small-business-sales-growth-in-april-fiserv-data-shows.html"},"analysis":{"id":"13785","press_release_id":"18989","analysis_json":{"industry":{"label":"Software & Services","sector":"Information Technology"},"redFlags":[],"eventType":"other","narrative":"Fiserv released its April Small Business Index, which remained at 144, showing U.S. small business sales growth was primarily driven by higher prices.\n\nSales increased 1.1% year over year supported by a 2.8% rise in average tickets, while foot traffic declined 1.7%.\n\nThe report noted specific sector trends, including softness in restaurants and rising fuel costs impacting service categories, derived from data across approximately 2 million U.S. small businesses.","sentiment":"neutral","agentHooks":{"shouldPost":false,"suggestedAngle":"Monthly economic index release; routine marketing activity."},"keyFigures":{"customDimensions":{"transactions_yoy":"-1.7%","average_ticket_yoy":"+2.8%","small_business_sales_yoy":"+1.1%","fiserv_small_business_index":"144"}},"quotedText":"sales growth continued to be sustained by price-driven gains rather than increased demand","namedEntities":{"people":[{"name":"Prasanna Dhore","role":"Chief Data Officer"},{"name":"Chase Wallace","role":"Director, Communications"}],"products":["Clover point-of-sale and business management platform","Fiserv Small Business Index"],"companies":[{"name":"Fiserv, Inc.","ticker":"FISV"}],"dollarAmounts":[]},"materialImpact":{"score":1,"reasoning":"Release of a monthly proprietary economic index. While it highlights Fiserv's data reach, it is a routine marketing publication with no direct impact on the company's financial condition or stock price."},"tickerRelevance":{"others":[],"primary":"FISV"},"globalImportance":10,"audienceRelevance":15,"eventTypeSecondary":[],"importanceComponents":{"tickerTier":"large_cap","eventGravity":"routine_marketing_data_release","householdBrandBoost":false}},"event_type":"other","event_type_secondary":null,"sentiment":"neutral","material_impact_score":1,"narrative":"Fiserv released its April Small Business Index, which remained at 144, showing U.S. small business sales growth was primarily driven by higher prices.\n\nSales increased 1.1% year over year supported by a 2.8% rise in average tickets, while foot traffic declined 1.7%.\n\nThe report noted specific sector trends, including softness in restaurants and rising fuel costs impacting service categories, derived from data across approximately 2 million U.S. small businesses.","key_figures":{"customDimensions":{"transactions_yoy":"-1.7%","average_ticket_yoy":"+2.8%","small_business_sales_yoy":"+1.1%","fiserv_small_business_index":"144"}},"named_entities":{"people":[{"name":"Prasanna Dhore","role":"Chief Data Officer"},{"name":"Chase Wallace","role":"Director, Communications"}],"products":["Clover point-of-sale and business management platform","Fiserv Small Business Index"],"companies":[{"name":"Fiserv, Inc.","ticker":"FISV"}],"dollarAmounts":[]},"model_name":"glm-4.7","prompt_hash":"sha256:a2703c5a1b5285fe","schema_hash":"sha256:1f8af1196c7db48c","created_at":"2026-05-04T15:35:48.622Z","global_importance":10,"audience_relevance":15,"importance_components":{"tickerTier":"large_cap","eventGravity":"routine_marketing_data_release","householdBrandBoost":false}},"durationMs":23353,"modelName":"glm-4.7"}}