RETAIL SALES

Most of the country's largest merchandisers on Thursday reported solid same-store sales this month.

Asian stock markets declined Thursday as the disappointing Japan retail sales data and the fading hopes for fresh measure by the Fed Reserve weighed on the sentiment.

The U.S. stock index futures point to a lower open Thursday as investors continue to have concerns about the weakening global economy and worsening economic growth momentum.

The Nikkei share average plunged Thursday on concerns that Ben Bernanke, the U.S. Federal Reserve chairman, will not announce imminent stimulus from the Fed in a key speech on Friday.

Asian markets fell Thursday as investors' concerns about the weakening global economy was revived by the declining Japanese retail sales and disappointing South Korean manufacturers' confidence data.

The number of Americans lining up for new jobless benefits rose more than expected last week, the Labor Department said Thursday, suggesting little improvement in the labor market.

An unofficial gauge of human misery in the U.S. is now sitting at its lowest level in three years. Not four. In other words, while conditions have improved somewhat, Americans are still feeling miserable under President Barack Obama's watch and that obviously doesn't bode well for Obama's re-election chances.

Asian shares rose and the euro hit a seven-week high Thursday as the Federal Reserve's minutes raised the prospect for more U.S. stimulus while uncertainty continued over progress in Europe's debt crisis, including the European Central Bank's bold action.

Futures on major U.S. indices point to a slightly lower opening Wednesday ahead of the retail sales report and producer price index.

China's May data dump over the weekend and on Monday painted a mixed picture of the economic health of the world's second-largest economy.

Crude oil futures rallied Monday as market participants welcomed Europe's plan to provide financial assistance to Spain to properly restructure its troubled banks.

Stock markets in China and Hong Kong gained Monday as sentiment was buoyed on news that the euro zone will provide financial assistance to help Spain's troubled banks.

Many analysts anticipated China's balance-of-trade figures for May would be OK, but the customs numbers reported Sunday were better than that expectation: Year on year, the country's exports rose 15.3 percent, and its imports rose 12.1 percent.

As a weak economic recovery and cheaper gasoline alter the travel plans of Americans from international trips to domestic jaunts, the Gulf Coast could be a big winner.

Asian stock markets reported their first weekly gains in six weeks amid hopes that major central banks, including the U.S. Federal Reserve, might act to tackle deteriorating global economic conditions.

As a weakening economic recovery and cheap gas lead Americans to curtail international vacations, domestic tourism is poised for a solid summer.

Several top retailers reported stronger-than-expected sales in May Thursday, Reuters is reporting, providing a moderate surprise to Wall Street retail analysts, who had warned May might prove a disappointing month in terms of revenue for many stores.

Futures on major U.S. indices point to a higher opening Thursday, ahead of the ADP National Employment Report and the Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) report on Initial Jobless Claims.

Industrial commodities and global stocks fell sharply Wednesday as evidence mounted that the global economy's highfliers are dangerously close to stall speed. Yields on 10-year Treasuries tumbled to a record low 1.64 percent.

Investing in Brazil's booming economy has turned another page as foreign companies, especially Japanese firms, move from putting money into the nation's financial industry to putting it into the real economy of South America's largest nation.

The common currency was punished overnight as sentiment regarding Greece turned from bad to worse.