Like other recent surveys, the data showed U.S. households are much more concerned about where the economy is heading than where it is currently. So far, actual economic activity and the job market seem to be holding up despite the worsening moods of U.S. companies and consumers.

U.S. stocks are drifting Thursday following more signals that the U.S. economy remains solid, for the moment at least. The S&P 500 fell 0.1% in afternoon trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 56 points,

Eastern time, the S&P 500 was 0.2 per cent higher, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.1 per cent, and the Nasdaq Composite was 0.2 per cent higher