In the US, retail sales picked up again in March. Revenue rose 0.5 percent from the previous month, the Commerce Department said on Thursday in Washington. Experts had expected an average increase of 0.6 percent. The increase in the previous month was revised significantly upwards. The original increase of 0.3 percent was revised to 0.8 percent.
Excluding the often fluctuating earnings from auto sales, sales in March rose 1.1 percent. An increase of 1.0 percent had been expected here. From this point of view, too, the rise in the previous month was revised upwards noticeably.
“Sales activity has increased, which is probably also due to the increased petrol prices,” wrote analyst Ulrich Wortberg from the Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen. “However, it must be taken into account that high rates of price increases tend to dampen the willingness to spend.”
The mood barometer is already declining. Nevertheless, the pressure on the US Federal Reserve remains increased to calm prices down with monetary policy measures so that the economic outlook remains positive in the medium and long term. (dpa)