US November retail sales +0.6% vs +0.4% expected

• Prior was 0.0% (revised to -0.1%)

Details:

• Ex-autos +0.5% vs +0.4% expected
• Prior ex autos +0.4% (revised to +0.2%)
• Ex autos and gas +0.4% vs +0.5% prior (revised to +0.4%)
• Control group +0.4% vs +0.4% expected
• Prior control +0.8% (revised to +0.6%)
• Retail sales y/y % vs +3.47% prior

This is generally in-line on the headline but the overall report is a tad soft because of the revisions.

The US retail sales report is one of the market’s cleanest reads on the health of the American consumer, and by extension the broader economy. Released monthly by the Census Bureau, it tracks the dollar value of sales across a wide range of retailers, from autos and gas stations to restaurants and online stores. Because consumer spending accounts for roughly two-thirds of US GDP, the report carries real weight for growth expectations and interest-rate pricing.

Markets tend to focus on the “control group,” which strips out autos, gasoline, building materials, and food services. That subset feeds directly into GDP calculations and often matters more than the headline. Strong retail sales suggest resilient demand, firmer pricing power, and less urgency for rate cuts. Weak numbers raise questions about consumer fatigue, credit stress, and the durability of the expansion.

It’s a noisy report, prone to revisions and seasonal quirks, but when trends persist, markets listen.

This article was written by Adam Button at investinglive.com.