U.S. Economic News
March 14, 2018
U.S. Economic Indicators
Retail sales fell 0.1% in February but were up 4.0% on the year. Core sales — which excludes autos, gasoline, building materials, and food services — edged up 0.1%. Census Bureau Report
Business inventories rose 0.6% in January and were up 3.7% from last year. Manufacturers’ sales increased 0.6% and were up 6.1% on the year. Census Bureau Report
The headline Producer Price Index (“PPI”) for final demand rose 0.2% in February and is up 2.8% since February of last year. The core — which removes the volatile prices of food, energy, and trade services — rose 0.4% and is up 2.7% on the year. BLS Report
U.S. News
The Wall Street Journal reports that subdued inflation has eased concerns among investors that rising prices would cause further financial market volatility. Although many market-watchers have expected inflation to pick up as labor markets tighten, there have been few signs of this phenomenon happening, despite a 17-year low unemployment rate. WSJ