Consumer sentiment retreats in February: survey

WASHINGTON, Feb 18 (AFP) - Consumer sentiment eroded slightly in February, a closely watched University of Michigan showed Friday.
The consumer sentiment index fell to 94.2 in early February from 95.5 in January. The increase was below the consensus forecast of Wall Street economists who had expected sentiment to slip to 95.5.
Sentiment is watched by financial markets as a harbinger of consumer spending, which accounts for two-thirds of US economic activity.

02/18/2005 15:06 GMT - AFP