Poll: Rising interest rates worry consumers

7/13/2013

WASHINGTON — Worries about rising interest rates and falling stock prices hit U.S. consumer sentiment in early July, while other data showed a firm rise in wholesale prices that could make the U.S. Federal Reserve more comfortable reducing its monetary stimulus.

The Thomson Reuters/​University of Michigan’s preliminary reading for its index of U.S. consumer sentiment edged down to 83.9 from 84.1 in June. The reading, released on Friday, fell short of forecasts.