US consumer sentiment fell in February for the first time in three months as current and expected views of the economy deteriorated. The sentiment index declined to 76.9 from 79 in January, according to the final February reading from the University of Michigan. The figure was lower than all estimates in a Bloomberg survey of economists. Consumers expect prices will climb at an annual rate of 3% over the next year, up from the 2.9% expected in January, data Friday showed. They see costs rising 2.9% over the next five to 10 years, unchanged from the prior month. Despite the drop, sentiment has largely been improving ... (full story)