US retail sales rise 0.1% in November, below expectations

US retail sales rose a seasonally adjusted 0.1% in November from a month earlier to $465.5 billion, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

This reading comes below the 0.3% expected by analysts and below the 0.6% growth seen in October, which was downwardly revised from 0.8% initially estimated. From a year earlier, sales increased 3.8%     

Excluding auto and parts purchases, sales rose 0.2%, also below the 0.4% expected.