US consumer confidence dropped sharply in October, with a figure worse than expected and at its lowest since last April. The numbers are influenced by the 'shutdown' of which US citizens recently fell victim after the tug of war between Democrats and Republicans on the debt ceiling.
The Conference Board, an economic group, produced an October index of 71,2 compared to a revised September figure of 80,2 from 79,7 previously. Economists' expectations converged on 75,0.
The index on expectations was also down, to 71,5 from 84,7 in September. Consumers are also less optimistic about the current situation, whose index fell to 70,7 from a revised 73,5 in September.
Meanwhile, on Wall Street, the Dow Jones rose by 0,26% to 15.568 points, slight progress for the S&P 500 with +0,13% to 1.762 points, while the Nasdaq lost 0,06% to 3.940 points.
