Mubasher: US consumer confidence recorded a drop in September, after a slight decline in August, according to a report released on Tuesday.

The Conference Board’s (CB) index came in at 125.1 in September, from 134.2 in the prior month, the New York-based group said.

“The escalation in trade and tariff tensions in late August appears to have rattled consumers,” the group’s economic indicators top director Lynn Franco said.

The gauge of views on present conditions also dropped to 176 in September, compared with 169 in the previous month, while the expectations index went down to 95.8.

“This pattern of uncertainty and volatility has persisted for much of the year and it appears confidence is plateauing,” Franco said.

However, “at some point this continued uncertainty will begin to diminish consumers’ confidence in the expansion,” she added.