WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — Sales at U.S. retailers rose 0.4% in December, a fourth straight monthly gain. The increase was a notch below the MarketWatch forecast of 0.5%, but sales for November and October were both revised higher. Excluding automobiles and gasoline, retail sales also rose 0.4% last month. The consumer price index, meanwhile, rose 0.1% in December, with four-fifths of the increase tied to the cost of housing. The increase matched the MarketWatch forecast.
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