Eurozone retail sales increased slightly in February, missing expectations.
- The retail sales volume rose 0.3% in February compared with the prior month, after a 0.2% monthly increase in January. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had expected a 0.5% increase for February.
- Sales rose by 3.2% for automotive fuels and 0.8% for nonfood products as sales for food, drinks, and tobacco decreased by 0.5%.
- Annually, the volume of retail sales in February increased by 5.0%. Retail sales jumped by 8.4% on year in January after revision.
- In the EU, the retail trade volume rose 12.7% on the year for automotive fuels and 9.6% for non-food products, while it dropped by 1.5% for food, drinks, and tobacco.
Slovenia led other member states with the highest yearly increases in retail trade volume at +21.7%, followed by Slovakia (+16.5) and Portugal (+15.9). The largest declines were registered in Austria, Belgium, and Finland.
EuroStoxx50 up +0.65%, EURUSD up +0.22%
Source: eurostat
