This vibes with what I’ve been seeing in reporting

Intent is building, evidenced by improved CTR and CPCs - but conversion behavior isn't there yet. Low CvR and ROAS plagued the industry last week. This signals a movement in a "thinking about buying" direction. Something about the post-vacation late days of summer have us thinking about the future. 

People are trying to sneak in some summer before it ends. Back to life, back to reality after Labor Day.