Economy

Retail sales rose 0.3% in November vs. expectations for a decline

Consumers showed unexpected strength in November, giving a solid start to the holiday season as inflation showed signs of continued easing.Retail sales rose 0.3% in November, stronger than the 0.2% decline in October and better than the Dow Jones estimate for a decrease of 0.1%, the Commerce Department reported Thursday....

Economy

Inflation slowed to a 3.1% annual rate in November

Prices across a broad range of goods and services edged higher in November but were mostly in line with expectations, further easing pressure on the Federal Reserve.The consumer price index, a closely watched inflation gauge, increased 0.1% in November, and was up 3.1% from a year ago, the Labor Department...