Five Things You Need to Know to Start Your Day

Retail sales surprise to the upside. Apple closes in on France. Stocks get a heat check. Here’s what people are talking about.

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US retail sales unexpectedly picked up in November, confirming other indicators of a solid start to the holiday shopping season. Eight of 13 categories posted increases, led by restaurants and bars, sporting goods stores and online retailers. Spending less on gasoline helped boost purchases in other realms. Gas sales slid ~3% as pump prices continued to fall. Separately, the Atlanta Fed raised its GDPNow for fourth-quarter growth to 2.6% from 1.2% on Dec. 7.