Does this spell "recession?" Early signal: the preliminary December index of consumer sentiment fell to 74.5 from 76.1.
The market signaled further trouble on Friday when the April index of pending deals was released by the National Association of Realtors.
In the consumer sentiment reading, the University of Michigan's final September index of consumer sentiment fell to 87.7, from 89.3 in August.
Separately, the Chicago chapter of the National Association of Purchasing Management said its August index of regional business activity rebounded to 43.5 from 38.0 in July.
Declines in hours worked by manufacturers and a rise in claims for state unemployment benefits led the overall drop in the August index of leading economic indicators.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia said its September index of regional manufacturing activity stayed below zero, which signals contraction in the market.
And in Chicago, the local chapter of the National Association of Purchasing Management said its August index of regional business activity had rebounded to 43.5 from 38.0 in July, beating expectations for 39.8.
According to the April index of Discover Small Business Watch, compiled by Discover Financial Services, 38percentt of owners were a member of an online social networking community, up from 22percentt in October 2007.
The Commerce Department reported that factory orders had fallen by 4.6% in November, their fourth monthly fall.America saw a 4% fall in the National Association of Realtors November index of pending home resales when a contract has been agreed on, but not completed.
Separately, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said Monday that its July index of composite leading indicators pointed to "clearer signs of a moderation in the pace of expansion to last month's assessment".
Sentiment eroded faster than expected, according to the University of Michigan's August index of consumer confidence, which fell to 78.7 from 84.7 in July.Confidence also dipped in Germany, where the ZEW economic-sentiment indicator, based on a survey of analysts and institutional investors, fell to –5.6, far below its historical average of 35.
