Retail Sales Curb Rally; Dow Climbs 37

A drop in retail sales reported today cooled off yesterday’s post-Fed-meeting rally, the Wall Street Journal reports. Stocks ended with modest gains as the Commerce Department reported a 0.1% drop in July retail sales despite increased car sales under the “Cash for Clunkers” program. The Dow rose 36.58 points to close at 9,398.19. The Nasdaq gained 10.63, settling at 2,009.35, and the S&P 500 added 6.92 to close at 1,012.73.
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