Consumer Sentiment Fell for Fourth Straight Month

Consumer Spending

Consumer confidence fell for the fourth straight month in April amid growing concerns about weaker economic growth.

The University of Michigan preliminary consumer sentiment index for April, released Friday, registered at 89.7, compared with a final March reading of 91.0. April's reading was the index's lowest since September 2015.

Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had expected the April index would rise to 92.0.

The index reached a postrecession high of 98.1 in January 2015, but signs of slower growth in the U.S., financial market volatility, and turmoil abroad have weighed on confidence, particularly in recent months.

Write to Josh Mitchell at joshua.mitchell@wsj.com