Final Sept retail sales rise 0.3 pct

U.S. retail sales rose in September as lower gasoline prices and a soaring stock market bolstered consumer spending, according to final data by SpendingPulse on Monday.

Americans splurged on clothes and back-to-school items last month, offering retailers' hopes of a solid year-end shopping season, SpendingPulse said.

Seasonal adjusted retail sales, excluding autos, grew 0.3 percent for a second straight month in September, below the preliminary reading of a 0.4 percent gain released a week ago, said SpendingPulse.

In dollar terms, September seasonally adjusted ex-auto sales reached $287.7 billion, up 5.3 percent from a year ago,