Consumer sentiment dips in February (by Jeffry Bartash)

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- U.S. consumer sentiment fell slightly in February amid persistent concerns about the weak job market and a slow economic recovery, based on the latest data from the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan survey of consumers. The consumer sentiment index fell to 73.6 from 74.4 in January, according to media reports. The data jibed with a separate report earlier this week that showed a decline in consumer confidence. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had been looking for the headline number to taper off to 73.7 points.