U.S. retail sales rebound in March

WASHINGTON — After three consecutive monthly declines, U.S. retail sales edged up by 0.6% in March, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. Higher spending on motor vehicles and other big-ticket purchases hinted at building momentum going into the second quarter. A Reuters poll found economists projecting an increase of just 0.4%, which is the same amount by which sales grew excluding the automotive, gasoline, building materials, and food services categories.