The 2.7 per cent increase exceeded the 1.9per cent median forecast of economists in a survey. Purchases excluding cars climbed 1.1 per cent, also more than the 0.4 per cent that economists expected.
However,wholesale inflation data came in higher than economists expected, suggesting that prices may be rising faster than the Federal Reserve anticipated.
Car sales increased by the most in almost eight years, spurred by the Obama administration's cash incentive to trade in older models for new, more fuel-efficient vehicles. The gain in spending was broad-based as 11of 13 categories registered increases.
Separately,the labour department said producer prices rose 1.7 per cent last month, more than twice the 0.8 per cent rise that economists had forecast.
"The Fed has to stay the course with the monetary policy it has in place, " said Brian Bethune, the chieffinancial economist at IHS Global Insight.:Underlying purchasing power is shrinking and there is no pricing power."
更新1:
改番少少野, chieffinancial >>>> chief financial advatage >>>>>> advantage