Consumer confidence dropped in July to the lowest level this year, according to the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment index released Friday.
The preliminary index for the month fell to a reading of 72, from 73.2 in June.
Economists had predicted a rise to 73.5, Bloomberg reported.
The survey’s index of current conditions asks Americans if they are better off than they were a year ago and if it's a good time to buy big-ticket items.