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US Retail Sales Preview
The U.S. Commerce Department reports on spending at retail businesses and restaurants in December. The report will be released at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Tuesday. SLIGHT GAIN: Economists expect that retail spending rose 0.2 percent in December, according to a survey by FactSet. That would follow November's 0.7 percent gain. The December report will show how much Americans spent in the final weeks before the holidays, a critical time for retailers. Expectations are lower after several major retailers reported disappointing sales. And weaker auto sales are expected to have held back overall retail spending in December.