Hurricanes Harvey and Irma left trails of destruction, but they could have given a boost to September retail sales and consumer price inflation. Both the retail and inflation reports are due to be released at 8:30 a.m. ET Friday. Retail sales are expected to rise by 1.7 percent, but, excluding gasoline and autos, the increase is expected to be 0.4 percent, according to Thomson Reuters. Auto sales surged in September as consumers replaced flooded and storm-damaged vehicles to an annualized pace of 18.5 million, the best this year. The consumer price index is expected to rise 0.6 percent, or 2.3 percent year over year. ... (full story)