美国4月零售销售增长放缓 消费支出显露疲软迹象

Core Viewpoint - Retail sales in the U.S. showed a significant slowdown in April, indicating that consumers are reducing spending on imported goods due to concerns over rising prices from tariffs. The month-over-month growth rate for retail sales fell to 0.1%, down from a revised 1.7% in March, although it was above the expected flat growth [1]. Retail Sales Data - April retail sales increased by 0.1% month-over-month, which was higher than the expected 0.0% but lower than the previous month's revised growth of 1.7% [2]. - Retail sales excluding automobiles also grew by 0.1%, missing the expected 0.3% and down from a revised 0.8% in March [1][2]. Category Performance - Out of 13 reported categories, 7 experienced declines, with auto sales slightly down after a surge in March. However, spending at restaurants and bars continued to show strong growth for the second consecutive month [3]. - The control group sales, an important indicator for GDP calculations, decreased by 0.2%, suggesting a weak start for the second quarter [6]. Economic Outlook - The Atlanta Fed's GDPNow model predicted a 2.3% growth for the second quarter, indicating a significant rebound from the contraction seen earlier in the year due to tariff-related import surges [6]. - Federal Reserve officials remain uncertain about the long-term economic impact of tariffs and are likely to maintain interest rates in the near future, focusing on controlling inflation rather than preemptively cutting rates [6]. Consumer Confidence and Spending - Despite the lack of immediate inflation from tariffs, consumer confidence appears to be waning, with major retailers like Walmart indicating that they may need to raise prices due to tariffs and economic uncertainty [8]. - Executives from various companies, including Energizer Holdings and Nu Skin Enterprises, expressed concerns about the impact of tariffs and reduced consumer confidence on sales [8].