The Economy & the Fed

Retail Sales Control Group

Retail sales leaving out car dealers, gas stations, building-materials stores and restaurants, the categories that swing most from month to month. What is left tracks the goods spending that goes into the consumer-spending part of GDP, so economists watch it to update their GDP estimates. A strong headline with a weak control group usually means the gain came from pricier gas or a burst of car sales.

Educational information, not investment advice. See it applied across the screener →