Personal Spending Rises for Second Straight Month

Consumer personal spending rose in February for the second consecutive month, the Commerce Department said Friday.

Spending increased 0.2%, following a 1% increase in January, Commerce said.

Economists had forecast a 0.2% increase in February spending, Bloomberg reported.

Personal incomes fell 0.2% in the same period, Bloomberg said.

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