It is very closely-watched for hints of future Fed interest rate action. The output price incorporates the cost of labor, thus giving a view on wage-led inflation. It is a solid indicator of inflation. Its core rate, once volatile food and energy prices are excluded, is closely monitored. International trade figures are released once a month and tend to focus on trade with Japan and, more recently, China.
Retail sales are an indication of consumer spending and demand.
They are broken down into cars and everything else as sales of cars tend to be very volatile. The figure, excluding cars, is made up of chain-store, department store and supermarket sales. The first stage of the three levels of gross domestic product data released each quarter. Advance is followed by provisional and then final. GDP is the broadest indicator of total economic activity.