Consumer Comfort in U.S. Decreases for First Time in Five Weeks

Americans’ confidence dropped for the first time in five weeks as households became less upbeat about the state of their finances amid a decline in stock prices, Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index figures showed Thursday.

The drop in sentiment, which included setbacks among middle- and higher-income earners, represents a break in post-election U.S. enthusiasm and coincides with declines in stock prices, as the S&P 500 Index had its biggest weekly drop since November. Confidence broke along partisan and gender lines, with both gaps widening. Sentiment among households in the South was also near a decade high. Household spending that builds off the recent gains in optimism would help drive the economy.