The sentiment of American consumers on the economy has plunged in May. On May 10, the University of Michigan reported that the preliminary index of consumer sentiment tumbled to a reading of 67.4%. The consensus estimate was 76%. The final reading of April was also revised downward to 77.2% from 77.9%, as reported earlier.May’s preliminary reading marks a 12.7% decline in month over month. The primary reason for this decline was a sharp increase in consumers’ expectations for the inflation rate.The outlook ...