Consumer sentiment unexpectedly declined in January to a six-month low as American households viewed the economy less favorably, a University of Michigan report showed Friday. Sentiment index dropped to 94.4 (est. 97) from 95.9 in December Current conditions gauge, which measures Americans' perceptions of their finances, decreased to 109.2, the lowest since November 2016, from 113.8 Expectations measure improved to 84.8 from 84.3 Year-ahead inflation climbed to 2.8%, the highest since April 2016, from 2.7% The decline in sentiment included a decrease in a measure of buying conditions for big-ticket goods, indicating ... (full story)