With low retail sales, the rising consumer confidence calms volatile stocks
In May, retail sales dropped, and also the stock market dropped in step with data delivered by the Commerce Department retail sales report. Stock market volatility has become the new normal. Before reversing direction early Friday when the May retail sales report was released, the stock market rose at the end of the day Thursday. A schizophrenic market then seesawed throughout the day as conflicted investors weighed the negative retail sales report with an unexpectedly positive analysis of consumer confidence.
