Retail Sales Rise.

PPI-FD – Wholesale Inflation (November 2015)

– PPI-FD overall month/month +0.3%. Previous was -0.4%
– PPI-FD overall year/year   -1.1%. Previous was  -1.6%
– PPI-FD core (less food & energy) month/month   +0.3%. Previous was -0.3%
– PPI-FD core (less food & energy)  year/year    +0.5%. Previous was  +0.1%
– PPI-FD core goods (less food, energy & trade services) month/month  +0.1%. Previous was -0.1%
– PPI-FD core goods (less food, energy & trade services) year/year   +0.3%. Previous was  +0.4%

What this data says is that inflation picked up in November but was largely confined to the service sector.

Retail Sales (November 2015)

– Retail Sales month/month    +0.2%. Previous was +0.1%
– Retail Sales less autos month/month +0.4%. Previous was +0.1%
– Less Autos & Gas month/month  +0.5%. Previous was +0.3%.

This data is mixed but moderately positive. The difference is sales in various retail sectors was significant. For example, online sales were up a lot and restaurant were up significantly.

There may also have been increased sales due to the increase in Black Friday Sales almost everywhere.  Let’s call this good but not pattern-establishing.

Business Inventories (October 2015)

– Inventories month/month +0.0%. Previous was +0.1%.

This is a GDP component which reflects both expectations and corrections to the differences between previous months expectations and reality.

 

Consumer Sentiment (December 2015)

– Consumer Sentiment 91.8. Previous was 91.3.

This is the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index.  It is supposed to be a leading indicator of Consumer Spending over the next three months.