U.S. personal spending rose just 0.2 percent in October, while prices grew slightly, according to new data from the U.S. Commerce Department released on Friday. Personal income grew at a 0.2 percent annual rate in October, below the 0.4 percent reading in September, the figures showed. Economists polled by Reuters had expected a 0.3 percent gain in spending, and a 0.4 percent increase in personal income. The personal consumption expenditure price index, a key measure of inflation, rose 0.3 percent. Core PCE prices, which excludes food and energy items, rose at a 0.2 percent rate, in line with economists' predictions. The report comes as economists and investors worry that a weak housing market, tightening credit terms and high energy prices will curb consumer spending, the driving force behind the U.S. economy.
