U.S. Economic News
February 14, 2019
U.S. Economic Indicators
Retail sales dropped 1.2% in December — the largest drop since 2009 — but were up 2.3% on the year. Core sales — which exclude autos, gasoline, building materials, and food services — plunged 1.7%. Census Bureau Report
Business inventories edged down 0.1% in November but were up 4.6% from last year. Manufacturers’ sales fell 0.6% but were up 4.4% on the year. Census Bureau Report
Initial jobless claims rose 4,000 to 239,000 last week. The four-week moving average rose 6,750 to 231,750. DOL Report
The headline Producer Price Index (“PPI”) for final demand eased 0.1% in January but is up 2.0% since January of last year. The core — which removes the volatile prices of food, energy, and trade services — rose 0.2% and is up 2.5% year-over-year. BLS Report