The retail sales control group - the components of retail sales that feed straight into the GDP calculation - rose at a pace of 2.4% in December, the lowest since 2009, and dropped 0.3% sequentially, the biggest drop since December 2011. What this means is that GDP growth - expected to be flourishing until recently and which Joe LaVorgna has at about 4% for 2014 - is about to be monkeyhammered. Why? Snow in the winter, of course.
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