US retail sales recorded a shock fall of 0.9% in December, their largest decline in 11 months. The news led some analysts to express doubt in the strength of the country’s economy as a whole.
US Commerce Department said that the dip exceeded the predicted fall of just 0.1%, but many economists cautioned against seeing the news as part of a broader trend.

Joseph LaVorgna, chief US economist at Deutsche Bank in New York, said: “Is this consistent with the broader information we are getting? My argument would be no.”