Sunday, September 30, 2012

Futures Rise after Strong Retail Sales, Jobless Claims

Stock futures rose on Thursday, shrugging off the Bernanke-inspired malaise that had enveloped the market on Wednesday. European stocks are broadly higher, and data released in the U.S. was generally positive: jobless claims fell last week to 351,000 (matching a four-year low) , and personal spending rose 0.2%, slightly below expectations. February auto sales are also expected to be released today.

Dow futures rose 34 points to 12,971; S&P 500 futures rose 3.6 points to 1,368.

Some retailers posted surprisingly strong retail sales for February, with Gap (GPS) finally showing some strength. The retailer said sales rose 4% in the month, versus expectations for a 1.4% decline. Shares jumped 10% in pre-market trading. Target (TGT) and Costco (COST) also beat expectations.

Kroger (KR) rose 2% after releasing a strong earnings report. Wal-Mart (WMT) rose 1% after raising its dividend by 9%.

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