Personal Spending Rises 0.1% in February

onsumer spending rose 0.1% in February, the smallest increase in six months, the Commerce Department said Friday.

Personal incomes rose 0.3%, following a 0.7% increase in January, Commerce said.

The spending uptick followed a revised 0.8% rise in January which had been reported originally as a 0.9% gain.

An increase in consumer spending could increase demand for new factory goods and the trucking shipments that get them to stores.

Inflation-adjusted spending on durable goods such as automobiles fell 1.8% following a 1.1% rise. Purchases of non-durable goods fell 0.5% after a 1% gain.

Spending on services, which account for about 60% of spending, rose 0.8% after falling 0.2% in January, Commerce said.