A modest rise in consumer prices in December and solid growth in retail sales bolstered expectations that inflation is firming after a long run of softness and that U.S. economic growth ended 2017 on a robust note. Forecasters on Friday raised their expectations for fourth-quarter growth after the Commerce Department reported sales at U.S. retailers, restaurants and websites rose a seasonally adjusted 0.4% in December from the prior month.

Source: Wall Street Journal January 12, 2018 13:30 UTC