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Sales at U.S. retailers rose a stronger-than-expected 0.6 percent in June, boosted by a big jump in auto sales, Commerce Department data showed on Tuesday.

Stock index futures rose on Tuesday as investors bet that quarterly earnings from Goldman Sachs Group would kick off a strong reporting season for financial companies, offsetting caution over the looming release of June retail sales.

Stock index futures were little changed on Tuesday as caution ahead of June retail sales offset hopes that Goldman Sachs will kick off a strong reporting season for financial companies.

The Nasdaq and the S&P 500 rose slightly on Thursday as investors unloaded consumer staple and healthcare stocks and bought technology and commodity-related shares.

June sales fell for most U.S. retailers as the plunging job market and cool, rainy weather dampened interest in summer shopping for consumers, triggering concern about the back-to-school season.

Chevron upcoming, Jobless claims and retail sales effects

Sales fell at many U.S. apparel retailers and warehouse club stores in June as the weak economy and cool, rainy weather dashed interest in summer shopping for consumers across the country.

Sales fell at many U.S. apparel retailers and warehouse club stores in June as the weak economy and cool, rainy weather dashed interest in summer shopping for consumers across the country.

Researchers are using Bluetooth technology to observe the meanderings of tens of thousands of festival-goers at a top European rock festival, hoping their findings will launch a new generation of tracking devices.

British telecoms and retail group Carphone Warehouse will offer contracts from Vodafone from next week in its 820 stores, ending a three-year dispute, Vodafone said on Thursday, confirming media reports.

Italian automaker Fiat is open to issuing a bond for institutional or retail investors, or both, Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne said on Saturday, according to news agency Ansa.

Opportunistic property investor NewRiver Retail has suspended plans for a 250 million pound ($406.3 million) listing on London's Alternative Investment Market stock exchange, a company spokeswoman told Reuters.

Citigroup has been ordered by Japanese regulators to stop marketing financial products at its retail bank for a month, a slap that is unlikely to squeeze revenue but will further tarnish the U.S. bank's reputation in a key market.

U.S. stocks rallied on Thursday on investors' relief that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke was weathering a tough grilling in Congress relatively well.

Rain and cooler-than-usual weather so far in June may have dampened demand for summer items such as sandals, swimwear and beer for retailers already hard put to counter sales declines during the recession.

Japan's largest convenience store chain, Seven-Eleven, said it may appeal a finding by the country's anti-monopolgy watchdog that it had illegally pressured franchise stores not to cut the prices of food items.

U.S. retail chain, Eddie Bauer Holdings Inc. filed Wednesday for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and entered into a deal worth $202 million with a private equity firm to buy the company’s assets.

The wave of bankruptcies that has eliminated dozens of U.S. retail chains could force landlords to rethink their traditional aversion to having small, independent retailers as tenants, a retail real estate expert said on Thursday.

U.S. stocks racked up gains across a wide array of sectors on Thursday, aided by rising commodity prices and improving labor market conditions, along with a sharp drop in interest rates.

U.S. retail sales rose in May for the first time in three months and the number of workers filing new claims for jobless benefits last week hit a January low, fostering hope the recession was abating.

U.S. stocks racked up gains across a wide array of sectors on Thursday, aided by rising commodity prices and improving labor market conditions, along with a sharp drop in interest rates.