By Jeffry Bartash
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - U.S. retail sales jumped 1.1% in September, the biggest increase in seven months, as consumers bought more autos, clothing and home furnishings, according to Commerce Department data. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch expected an increase of 0.8% on a seasonally adjusted basis. Auto sales jumped 3.6% last month - the biggest increase in a year and a half - as carmakers sold nearly 1.1 million vehicles. Excluding the auto sector, sales rose 0.6%, but that was still higher than market expectations of a 0.4% increase. Sales for August, which were originally reported as unchanged, were revised up to a 0.3% increase.
