U.S. Posts Narrowest December Budget Deficit Since '07

The U.S. federal government posted its narrowest December budget deficit since a surplus in the last month of 2007, the U.S. Treasury said on Friday.

The budget registered a marginal $260 million deficit as receipts and outlays largely canceled each other out, surprising economists who had been looking for a $22.50 billion gap. That compared with a November deficit of $172.1 billion.