Retail Sales Rose, Industrial Production Ticked Down

Retail and food services sales increased 1.4% in March from February and rose 4.6% from March 2024 (Census Bureau).

The details: Motor vehicle and parts dealers grew 8.8% from March 2024, while nonstore retailers increased 4.8% over the same period.

Industrial production: Industrial production “decreased 0.3% in March but increased at an annual rate of 5.5% in the first quarter,” according to the Federal Reserve.

Utilities dropped 5.8%, due to atypically warm temperatures in March.
However, “the indexes for manufacturing and mining grew 0.3% and 0.6%, respectively.”