U.S. consumer confidence falls 11 points (by Jeffry Bartash)

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - Consumer confidence fell sharply in February as Americans turned more pessimistic about job prospects and the U.S. economy, the Conference Board reported. Just a month after touching a 16-month high, the board's Consumer Confidence index sank 11 points to 46.0 from an upwardly revised 56.5 in January. It's the lowest reading since April 2009. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch, who were looking for a slight drop to 55.5 points from the previously reported January level of 55.9.