US Retail Sales rise by 0.2% in February vs. 0.7% expected

• Retail Sales in the US rose at a softer pace than expected in February.
• The US Dollar Index stays in negative territory near 103.50.

Retail Sales in the United States (US) rose by 0.2% in February to $722.7 billion, the US Census Bureau announced on Monday. This reading followed the 1.2% decrease reported in January and came in worse than the market expectation for an increase 0.7%. On a yearly basis, Retail Sales were up 3.1%.

"Total sales for the December 2024 through February 2025 period were up 3.8% from the same period a year ago," the press release read. "Retail trade sales were up 0.5% from January 2025, and up 3.4% from last year."

Market reaction

This report failed to trigger a noticeable market reaction. At the time of press, the US Dollar Index was down 0.15% on the day at 103.58.