"The U.S. retail sales rose 0.3% last month, comparing favorably with the estimates of economists, who forecast a 0.2% rise. Over the prior two months, retail sales had dropped a combined 0.9%. The increase in retail sales in February came from a variety of sectors, including auto dealers, Internet retailers, clothing and sporting goods stores.
Data also showed the number of people who applied for unemployment benefits last week dropped to a three-month low. Jobless claims fell by 9,000 to 315,000. That belied expectations of a rise to 330,000 on a seasonally-adjusted basis.
Import prices also jumped 0.9% in February, mostly because of higher fuel costs. Economists polled by MarketWatch had expected a rise of 0.4%".
Source: Marketwatch
