Overview: Retail sales fell 0.5% in June.  The U.S. trade deficit widened 4.8% in May.  The topline CPI fell 0.1% in June; the core CPI rose 0.2%.  The topline PPI fell 0.5%; the core PPI rose 0.1%.  The U.S. Treasury recorded a deficit of $68.4 billion in June.  Business inventories increased 0.1% in May.  Initial jobless claims fell by 29,000 to a level of 429,000 for the week ended 7/10.

Retail sales fell 0.5% in June; excluding autos, sales were down 0.1%. A 2.9% increase in imports, led by a 12.1% increase in imports from China, surpassed a 2.4% increase in exports.  The rise in exports was the largest since September of 2008.

The U.S. trade deficit unexpectedly widened by $2.0 billion, or 4.8%, to $42.3 billion in May. The 2.9% increase in imports, surpassed the 2.4% increase in exports.  The rise in exports was the largest since September of 2008. The rise in imports was led by a large increase in imports from China.  The U.S. trade deficit with China rose 15.4% to $22.3 billion.

The topline consumer price index fell 0.1% in June; the core CPI rose 0.2%.

The topline producer price index fell 0.5% in June; the core PPI rose 0.1%.

The U.S. Treasury recorded a deficit of $68.4 billion in June.

Business inventories increased 0.1% in May.

Initial jobless claims fell by 29,000 to 429,000 for the week ended July 10^th.