US consumer confidence falls

US consumer confidence fell for the second straight month in February, a survey said Tuesday, as Americans' feelings about the economy's present and future health cooled.

The Conference Board said its consumer confidence index declined to 110.5, a drop of less than a point from January and better than analysts expected.

The data showed consumer expectations for the economy's future performance declined slightly, but there also was a small uptick assessments of its present condition,  "suggesting the economy continued to expand in (the first quarter) but did not gain momentum," said Lynn Franco, senior director of economic indicators at The Conference Board.

After declining in December, consumer expectations for inflation 12 months ahead rose again to seven percent.

"While they do not expect the economy to pick up steam in the near future, they also do not foresee conditions worsening," Franco said.