Consumer sentiment plunged in January to the lowest level since President Trump was elected, according to the University of Michigan index released Friday. The index fell to 90.7 in January from 98.3, with the expectations index dropping especially sharply. Economists polled by MarketWatch forecast a 97.5 reading. "The loss was due to a host of issues including the partial government shutdown, the impact of tariffs, instabilities in financial markets, the global slowdown, and the lack of clarity about monetary policies," said Richard Curtin, chief economist for the survey. (full story)