Confidence among US consumers dropped in June after two months of building optimism, surprising economists and knocking the wind from stock markets.

The Confidence Board, an industry group, said its index of consumer confidence dropped to 49.3 this month from a revised 54.8 in May. Economists had expected a figure of around 55, but consumers are feeling worse about the current state of the economy and about where they expect it to be in six months’ time.