Retail sales edge up 0.1% in September

Washington

US retail sales barely rose in September as cheaper petrol weighed on service station receipts, but gains in purchases of automobiles and other goods pointed to solid domestic demand that could shield the economy from slowing global growth.

Other data on Wednesday suggested disinflation was re-emerging, with producer prices in September posting their biggest decline in eight months. The combination of soft retail sales and weak inflation cast more doubt on whether the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates this year.