Q4 Consumer Spending Slows; Households Show.>

UK DATA: Q4 Consumer Spending Slows; Households Finances Show Strain

-UK Q4 Household Spending revised downward to +0.3%

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Consumers were less extravagant than originally reported at the end of 

last year, with household spending rising by just 0.3% in Q4, down from 

the initially-calculated 0.4% gain, recording the weakest advance in a 

year. Spending added just 0.19 percentage points to GDP growth of 0.2%, 

the smallest contribution since the final quarter of 2016. Household 

balance sheets may be showing signs of strain, with borrowing on 

non-financial accounts -- which include large capital outlays -- hitting 

Stg4.439 billion, the ninth straight quarter of borrowing. That's the 

longest stretch since records began in early 1987.