Consumer Spending in U.S. Probably Rose in November on Autos

Consumer spending probably climbed in November as Americans flocked to auto showrooms and shopped for holiday bargains, contributing to a pickup in U.S. growth as 2011 comes to a close, economists said before a report today.

Purchases rose 0.3 percent after increasing 0.1 percent in October, according to the median estimate of 79 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. The report may also show incomes grew 0.2 percent, down from a 0.4 percent gain the prior month.