Amerika ist GROSS! - Einzelhandelsdaten

verfasst von kingsolomon, 13.04.2004, 14:55

-->Retail sales up 1.8%, best in a year
By Rex Nutting, CBS.MarketWatch.com
Last Update: 8:31 AM ET April 13, 2004






WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) - U.S. retail sales rose 1.8 percent in March, the fastest growth in a year, the Commerce Department estimated Tuesday.

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Sales at most kinds of stores were healthy in March. Auto sales increased 2.1 percent. Excluding autos, sales increased 1.7 percent, the biggest increase in four years.

Core sales excluding cars and gas also rose 1.8 percent, the biggest gain since October 2001.

The gains were far ahead of Wall Street expectations of 0.7 percent for total sales and 0.6 percent for ex-auto sales.

Retail sales for January and February were also revised higher. January's gain was revised from 0.3 percent to 0.5 percent while February's increase was revised to 1 percent from 0.7 percent.

The revised figures put consumer spending closer to the track economists had assumed going into the first quarter when they figured big tax refunds would propel spending for the first half of the year.

Forecasts of annualized first-quarter gross domestic product growth will likely be bumped higher than the current 4.3 percent.

The better-than-expected retail sales will likely have little impact on the Federal Reserve's deliberations about when to raise interest rates. The Fed is primarily concerned about job growth and inflation, and not in economic growth per se, as reassuring as the numbers are.

Retail sales are up 8.2 percent over March 2003 levels. The figures are not adjusted for price changes.

Sales gains were widespread in March.

Sales at hardware and garden stores surged a record 10.6 percent. Sales at furniture stores rose 1.2 percent while sales at appliance and electronics stores inched 0.2 percent higher.

Although sales at general merchandise stores rose 0.3 percent, sales at department stores were disappointing, falling 0.8 percent. Leisure activity stores, such as books, music, sports and hobbies, fell 0.7 percent.

Sales at clothing stores rose 1.9 percent, sales at health and personal care stores increased 1.1 percent and sales at food stores increased 0.8 percent.

Sales at gasoline stations increased 0.8 percent, likely a result of higher gasoline prices.

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gesamter Thread:

• Amerika ist GROSS! - Einzelhandelsdaten - kingsolomon, 13.04.2004, 14:55
  • Re: Amerika ist GROSS! - Einzelhandelsdaten - Cosa, 13.04.2004, 16:34
    • Re: Amerika ist GROSS! - Einzelhandelsdaten - CRASH_GURU, 13.04.2004, 22:48