-
Consumer sentiment tumbles in March as coronavirus threat explodes into view
If Americans weren’t fully aware of the coronavirus threat several weeks ago, they are waking up to it now. A survey of confidence, known as the consumer sentiment index, fell to 95.9 in March from 101.0, according to the University of Michigan. That’s the weakest reading in five months. The index is all but certain to fall more sharply in the months ahead. The current reading only covers the beginning of March — right before an onslaught of bad news about the coronavirus epidemic pushed the U.S. into crisis mode. Sentiment nearly matched a post 2008 recession high in February, but that’s likely to be the ... (full story)