RETAIL SALES SHOW SMALL GAIN IN OCTOBER

From AP via MSN:

Retail sales managed a small increase in October as consumers struggled with falling confidence caused by a steep slump in housing and tighter credit conditions.

The Commerce Department reported Wednesday that retail sales edged up 0.2 percent in October, compared to the previous month. It was the weakest showing since a 0.1 percent rise in August and represented a significant slowdown from a 0.7 percent jump in September sales.