Retail, Government Report | featured news

Retail sales recorded their largest gain in five months in February as Americans snapped up motor vehicles and bought a range of goods even as they paid more for gasoline, government data showed on Tuesday.

Stocks are shaking off a two-week slump after a report on retail sales wasn't as bad as economists had predicted... The government said Tuesday that retail sales edged down 0.2 percent last month, the first decline in nearly a year. That was slightly better than analysts were expecting. Americans bought fewer cars during the month, but the decline reflected temporary supply chain disruptions caused by the earthquake and tsunami disaster in Japan. Excluding weak car sales, retail sales rose 0.3 percent.