United States consumer spending rose modestly in November for the fifth consecutive month, reinforcing the view of a solid if pedestrian recovery.
Official figures show spending rose .4% against the previous month, roughly in line with analysts' forecasts. Consumer incomes rose .3%.
Consumer spending is watched closely, as it accounts for about 70% of the US economy's total economic output.
Separate data shows new home sales rising by 5.5.% in November.
They were down by a fifth, however, compared with a year earlier.
