Stocks opened modestly higher following retail sales that came in well above expectations and jobless claims that were lower, together validating the U.S. economy’s strength.
The Dow rose 44 points, or 0.1%. The S&P 500 was up 0.1%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq was up 0.2%.
Consumer spending so far remains healthy, with retail sales advancing 0.6%, against the expected 0.2% increase in June.