U.S. consumer sentiment slid in September to its lowest in five months as consumers saw higher interest rates and sluggish economic growth ahead, a survey released on Friday showed. The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan's final reading on the overall index on consumer sentiment slipped to 77.5 in September from 82.1 in August - the lowest final reading since April. The September figure was lower than the 78.0 economists had expected in a Reuters poll, but higher than a mid-month preliminary reading of 76.8. Looming Congressional showdowns over a possible government shutdown and the need to raise the debt ceiling ... (full story)