On February 25th, U.S. consumer confidence fell sharply in February, and pessimism about the future has returned. The Consumer Confidence Index fell 7 points to 98.3 in February, while the Expectations Index fell 9.3 points to 72.9, according to Conference Board data. For the first time since June 2024, the Expectations Index fell below the 80 threshold that signals a recession. Stephanie Guichard, Conference Board senior economist, said: "The Consumer Confidence Index recorded its largest one-m...