US retail sales rose more than expected in September as the economic recovery picked up

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US retail sales rose more than expected in September as the economic recovery picked up
Shoppers wear masks while walking at the Galleria Dallas mall in Dallas on Monday, May 4, 2020.LM Otero/AP
  • US retail sales in September improved from the prior month as the nation contended with still-heightened coronavirus infection rates and a lack of new stimulus.
  • Spending increased 1.9% last month, landing above the average economist estimate of 0.8%.
  • The reading marks the fifth straight month of improvement and a sizeable increase in the pace of recovery after August's paltry 0.6% gain
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Americans spent more than expected at retailers in September as the US economy continued to recover and reaccelerate after slowing through the summer.

US retail sales climbed 1.9% last month, according to the Census Bureau, landing above the consensus economist estimate of 0.8% compiled by Bloomberg. The reading also signaled an acceleration from August's 0.6% gain.

Retail spending is among the economic indicators being watched most closely to monitor the US economic recovery's health. Consumer spending accounts for about 70% of the economy. Any slowdown in the path back to pre-pandemic highs would signal a dire trend for the broader economy.

Read more: 200-plus money managers pay thousands to see which stocks are on Jim Osman's buy list. He details 2 he sees doubling and says one has at least 50% left to soar.

The September report marks the fifth straight increase in retail spending after the metric plummeted in April. The gauge, along with other measures of consumer spending, showed a V-shaped trend through the summer as stimulus payments and expanded unemployment benefits boosted Americans' financial health.

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Yet just as fiscal relief programs expired and direct payments dried up, the pace of retail spending growth slowed. The gauge's trajectory now mirrors that seen with weekly jobless claims and purchasing managers' indexes, with an initial leap giving way to a crawl.

Still, Friday's reading marks a sizeable jump and suggests the consumer-spending rebound has some room to run.

Those hoping for new stimulus to reinvigorate the recovery are likely to be disappointed in the near term. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell doubled down on calls for a $500 billion measure on Thursday, adding that he wouldn't bring a larger bill to a vote. Democrats and the White House inched closer to a deal the same day, with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin saying the Trump administration is willing to compromise over a provision for increased COVID-19 testing.

President Donald Trump might push McConnell to accept a larger package, according to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's deputy chief of staff. Still, a deal approved by Democrats and the White House would tout a price tag between $1.8 trillion and $2.2 trillion, a sum McConnell and other Senate Republicans have repeatedly balked at. With Democrats equally opposed to a piecemeal approach, chances of more fiscal support reaching the economy before 2021 are slim.

Read more: Lori Keith's mutual fund has grown 98,000% in 12 years by focusing on unflashy companies. She told us about 7 such stocks that thrived in the recession — and will likely do even better in the recovery.

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