U.S. Consumer Sentiment Falls Less Than Forecast

Confidence among U.S. consumers fell less than expected in January, a signal the biggest part of the economy may extend gains from late 2010.

The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan final index of consumer sentiment decreased to 74.2 from 74.5 in December. The median forecast in a Bloomberg News survey called for a reading of 73.3, up from a preliminary figure of 72.7 issued earlier this month.