Retail I (Spending Surprises to the Upside)

US retail sales were up 0.8% in November vs. an expected 0.3% increase, a good sign for the economy in Q4 provided that a vast majority of those sales don't end up getting returned immediately after the holidays. The link has an interesting chart. It doesn't appear, however, that European retailers like Hennes & Mauritz AB (H&M) can revel in the news. T…