U.S. Jan retail sales up 0.5% (by Greg Robb)

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - U.S. retail sales rose a better-than-expected 0.5% in January, the Commerce Department estimated Friday. The gain reverses a disappointing December report. The consensus forecast of Wall Street economists was for retail sales to rise 0.3%. This is the third increase in the past four months. Sales rose despite flat auto sales and weakness in home-related sectors like furniture and building materials. Sales at catalogs and online stores, electronics and clothing led the January increase. Excluding autos, sales rose 0.6%. This was in line with expectations. Excluding gasoline, sales increased 0.5%.