Euro zone retail sales were much weaker than expected in September, data showed on Wednesday, and the monthly August rise was revised downwards, pointing to soft household demand in the third quarter. The European Union's statistics office said retail sales in the 18 countries sharing the euro

U.S. retail sales declined in September and producer prices also fell, worrisome signals on the economy's health that heightened financial market worries over faltering global growth. The two reports on Wednesday could deepen concerns at the Federal Reserve over the readiness of the U.S. economy