Americans’ spending barely grew in June as incomes stagnated

Bloomberg

Consumer spending lost momentum in June and a drop in dividend payments caused incomes to stagnate, signaling the US economy may get less help from households this quarter, Commerce Department figures showed on Tuesday.
June marked a third straight month of slowing nominal spending. A weaker handoff into this quarter signals household outlays, which accounts for about 70 percent of the economy, could come short of matching the pace of the prior three-month period that helped lead a rebound in economic growth.
Incomes were little changed in June, due to a 3 percent drop in dividend payments following a 4.8 percent surge a month earlier that reflected a special payment from Costco Wholesale Corp. Wage growth, however, picked up. Sustained pay gains, along with steady hiring, healthier finances and low inflation, could encourage Americans to accelerate their spending.
The data on prices showed inflation, while exceeding forecasts, will take time to reach the Federal Reserve’s 2 percent goal. The Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, which rose in June from a year earlier, has exceeded policy makers’ target in just one month since April 2012.
Saving rate fell to 3.8 percent from 3.9 percent in May Wages and salaries rose 0.4 percent following a 0.1 percent gain. Adjusted for inflation, purchases were unchanged. Spending on durable goods fell 0.1 percent after adjusting for inflation. Disposable income fell 0.1 percent after adjusting for inflation, the first drop this year.