RETAIL SALES

The U.S. stock index futures point to a slightly lower open Monday after stocks reported biggest weekly gain since January in the last week.

Asian stock markets mostly advanced Monday as better-than-expected U.S. non-farm payroll data boosted sentiment.

Here’s a rundown of some nuggets from Wednesday’s Beige Book, which can be used to get a feel for the direction of the U.S. economy.

General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM) posts 7 percent rise in total sales in February, to 224,314 units.

The U.S. stock index futures point to slightly higher open Wednesday, ahead of the U.S. retail sales data release by the Commerce Department scheduled at 13:30 GMT. Retail sales is expected to show a 0.1 percent rise in January, against a 0.5 percent increase registered in December as consumers eye smaller paychecks on the back of a recent tax increase.

Activision Blizzard's “Skylanders” franchise has topped $1 billion in worldwide retail sales, the company announced Monday.

Gossip magazines, such as People, Star, Us Weekly and In Touch, have seen their single-copy sales diminish over the last year, according to data from the Alliance for Audited Media.

Having just weathered a blizzard of economic reports, investors and traders can look ahead to a fairly light calendar next week.

Detroit’s Big Three saw double-digit sales growth in January - a continuation of an impressive recovery that's supporting US GDP.

A strong 2013 start is expected when automakers release January sales figures Friday after the best December since the 2008-09 recession.

Japan’s retail sales rose a better-than-expected 0.4 percent in December in comparison to the same period last year, but lower than the 1.3 percent growth cloaked in November.

Even if Spain asks for a bailout, it won't be enough to address the country's deep-seated problems, according to a European economist.

Asian stock markets advanced Friday as sentiment was buoyed following the release of improved economic data in both the U.S. and China.

China’s economy rose at a better than expected rate in the fourth quarter of last year, indicating that economic growth is reviving.

The retail sales rise was the highest since Sept. - suggesting that the world's No. 1 economy ended 2012 with more of a bang than a whimper.

The U.S. stock index futures pointed to a lower open Tuesday ahead of the Department of Commerce's retail sales report and the Department of Labor's Producer Price Index.

Asian stock markets mostly ended lower last week as sentiment was weighed down by the report that China’s inflation rate accelerated to a seven-month high in December, denting hopes of further stimulus measures to boost the ongoing recovery in the world’s second largest economy.

Market participants this week will begin to close the books on 2012 and get their first glimpse of global economic activity in 2013.

Herbalife, which sells weight management and skincare products, is being denounced as a pyramid scheme by Bill Ackman, a hedge fund manager. Ackman claims Herbalife’s goal is not to sell products but getting individuals duped into selling business opportunities to their friends who, in turn, sell it to their friends.

Sales of electronics, clothing, jewelry and home goods in the two months to Christmas increased by a tad 0.7 percent.

Holiday sales are a crucial indicator of the economy's strength. And an early indicator is lowering the odds for a happy new year.