May 27, 2006	Saturday	Rabi-us-Sani 28, 1427

NEW YORK, May 26: Americans’ confidence in the outlook for the US economy is expected to have dimmed in May as high oil prices and concern about rising borrowing costs plagued sentiment, according to a Reuters poll. The Conference Board’s May reading of consumer confidence is expected to have fallen to 101.5 from 109.6 in April, according to the median of a survey of 20 Wall Street analysts.

This would be the lowest reading since Nov, but well above the 85.2 registered after Hurricane Katrina in August last year and cast doubt on the economy’s ability to withstand such a blow.