Headline Retail Sales Rebound From September Slide, But Ex-Autos Print Falls Short

Retail sales rose a better-than-expected 0.3% in October, underscoring the resiliency of the US consumer at a time when lackluster business investment and slumping CEO confidence suggest the trade war and political uncertainty together serve as a gale force headwind both to the economy and the aging bull market. The decent headline number comes as something of a relief. Last month, data for September showed retail sales falling for the first time in six months, stoking fears that the load-beari