Retail Sales, PPI And Empire State All Show Weakness

Retail sales in September fell 0.3 percent versus expectations of a 0.1 percent drop. Last month, retail sales rose 0.6 percent. The Producer Price Index, or PPI, fell 0.1 percent versus an expectation of a gain of 0.1 percent. The New York Federal Reserve latest Empire manufacturing report, a measurement of business activity, came in at 6.17, well below expectations of 20.25. The combination of weak growth and deflationary data weighed on the overall market, with the S&P 500 futures dropping 0.65 percent following these reports, trading at its lowest levels since April 15.