September Retail Sales Rise 0.8%, Showing Consumers Still Spending

U.S. retail sales rose 0.8% in September from the prior month, indicating that shoppers continued to spend despite elevated inflation and high borrowing costs.

The reading is closely watched by investors in retailers and consumer staples, which outperformed on Friday. Walmart and Coca-Cola were among the Dow's top gainers.

Combined with a hotter producer price report, the data leaves the Federal Reserve balancing resilient demand against persistent price pressures.