Michigan Consumer Sentiment Shows First Post-Election Drop
- Partisan divide is sharpest on record, survey chief says
- Independents lean toward optimism, supporting broader index
Pedestrians walk past the display window of a store in the Harlem neighborhood of New York.
Photographer: Craig Warga/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Consumer confidence fell for the first time since November’s election, as party lines divided Americans following a boost in enthusiasm for economic policies under President Donald Trump.
The University of Michigan said Friday that its final index of sentiment for February dropped to 96.3 from January’s 98.5, which was the highest since 2004. That compares with the median projection of 96 in a Bloomberg survey and a preliminary reading of 95.7.