Consumer Sentiment

Consumer sentiment sinks in Oct., UMich says -- Consumer sentiment eroded further in October, according to researchers at the University of Michigan. The consumer sentiment index fell to 75.4 from 76.9 in September. The drop was unexpected. The consensus forecast of Wall Street economists was for sentiment to inch higher to 80.4. Sentiment fell sharply in September in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The current conditions index fell to 95.7 in October from 98.1 in September. The expectations index fell to 62.4 from 63.3 in the previous month.