retail data

A strong report on retail sales in July sent U.S. stock prices higher Friday after a week of record-setting gains and losses on Wall Street.

The government statistics showed retail sales fell for the first time this year, but stocks rallied by more than 1 percent in part because they weren’t as bad as expected.

Americans kept spending carefully last month, buying electronics and back-to-school clothes but holding back on luxuries.

Americans pulled back on their spending in May after a tepid April, underscoring how fragile the consumer spending recovery remains, new data released Thursday show.

Stock futures crept higher Monday as investors returning from a long holiday weekend were heartened by good news on retail sales.