By Reuters Staff 1 Min Read People wait in line to order at a coffee shop as the state of Texas lifts its mask mandate and allows businesses to reopen at full capacity during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Houston, Texas, U.S., March 10, 2021. REUTERS/Callaghan O'Hare (Reuters) - U.S. consumer sentiment unexpectedly dropped in early May as inflation worries sapped confidence in what had been a rapidly brightening economic outlook, a key survey showed on Friday. The University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index fell 5.5 points to a reading of 82.8, pulling back from the highest level in roughly a year in April. Economists polled by Reuters had been looking for a reading of 90.4, which would have marked the third straight monthly gain.