Investing.com – Retail sales eased forward as expected in December, official data showed on Friday.
In a report, the U.S. Commerce Department said that retail sales rose 0.4% from the prior month, in line with expectations. Retail sales in November rose 0.9%, which was revised from 0.8%.
Rising retail sales over time correlate with stronger economic growth, while weaker sales signal a declining economy
Core retail sales, which exclude automobile sales, rose by a seasonally adjusted 0.4% in December, in line with consensus expectations. Sales rose by 1.3% in November, which was revised up from 1.0%.
Core sales correspond most closely with the consumer spending component of the government's gross domestic product report. Consumer spending accounts for as much as 70% of U.S. economic growth.
After the report, which was released simultaneously with the Consumer Price, EUR/USD was trading at 1.2144 from around 1.2139 ahead of the release of the data, GBP/USD was at 1.3642 compared to 1.3637 previously, while USD/JPY was at 111.37 from 111.15 earlier.
The US dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major rivals, was at 91.12 compared to 91.08 ahead of the report.