U.S. retail sales rose 0.5 percent in February as the auto sector rebounded from a weak January, while net inflows of capital into U.S. assets surged to a larger-than-expected $91.5 billion in January. The advance in retail sales last month was marginally below market expectations for a 0.6 percent increase, while sales excluding cars and parts rose just 0.4 percent -- half of Wall Street forecasts for a 0.8 percent climb. But analysts said the upward revision in January to a 0.3 percent gain from the originally reported 0.3 percent drop made up for the slightly disappointing February performance. "You have to weigh in the big January revisions. We are doing pretty darn good. It's pretty well spread. Consumers are spending their little hearts out," said David Wyss, chief economist at Standard & Poor's Ratings Services in New York. A separate report by the Treasury Department showed capital inflows were the second largest on record in January and were more than enough to finance the nation's current account deficit that month. --More 1804 Local Time 1504 GMT
