NEW YORK — Americans kept spending in September at a solid pace even as they grappled with higher prices and interest rates.
Spending at restaurants were up 0.9%, while spending online rose 1.1% last month, according to the report. Sales at general merchandise stores rose 0.4%. Two key indicators of the economy climbed in August as Statistics Canada reported manufacturing sales rose 0.7 per cent to $72.4 billion that month, while wholesale trade sales excluding petroleum, petroleum products and other hydrocarbons, and excluding oilseed and grain, increased 2.3 per cent to $83 billion. StatCan said Monday that manufacturing sales in August were boosted by the petroleum and coal, food and machinery subsectors. Sales of petroleum and coal products rose 10.
Russia expects a visit by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as the two oil producers deepen their cooperation and Russian companies seek to invest more in the South American country, President Vladimir Putin's oil point man said on Monday. Venezuela boasts the world's largest proven oil reserves and Russia is the world's second largest oil exporter.