| Definition:
|
Retail Sales tracks in dollars the amount of merchandise sold for cash or credit by retailers. The report tracks sales of both durable and non-durable goods. Retail Sales is also totaled excluding auto sales. Retail Sales does not track services spending.
|
| Meaning:
|
Retail Sales accounts for 1/2 of total consumer spending and 1/3 of aggregate economic activity. Analysts and investors watch this report closely to see what the consumer is doing. The report does have a couple of weaknesses though. The data is not adjusted for inflation and is often heavily revised and difficult to forecast. For these reasons, analysts and investors like to track the three-month moving average and the year-over-year percent changes.
|
| Weight:
|
***
|
| Source:
|
U.S. Department of Commerce: Bureau of the Census
|
| Availability:
|
Released 2 weeks following the reference month.
|
| Frequency:
|
Monthly
|
| Coverage:
|
Data are for the previous Month (Data for May are released in June)
|
| Volatility:
|
High
|
Impact on the Markets:
|
| Interest Rates:
|
Retail Sales  =
Interest Rates
Retail Sales  = Interest Rates
|
| Fixed-income:
|
Retail Sales =
Bond Market
Retail Sales = Bond Market
|
| Equities:
|
Retail Sales =
Stock Market
Retail Sales = Stock Market
|
| Dollar:
|
Retail Sales = Little Effect
Retail Sales = Little Effect
|
| More Information:
|
National Association of Purchasing Managers
|
