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• Stocks Log 4-Day Rally; Dow, S&P End at Log Fresh Closing Highs; HPQ Slumps 6% Thursday, 11 Apr 2013 | 5:17 PM ET

  

  Stocks ended higher Thursday lifted by an upbeat jobless claims report, with the Dow and S&P 500 closing at fresh levels, while weakness in large tech companies limited gains on the Nasdaq.

• US STOCKS-Wall St rises for 4th day, but weak tech hits Nasdaq Thursday, 11 Apr 2013 | 4:30 PM ET

  *Retail stocks lead the S&P 500 after April sales outlook. NEW YORK, April 11- U.S. stocks rose for a fourth straight day on Thursday, sending the Dow and the S&P 500 to new closing highs as positive data on the labor market and an encouraging retail outlook eased recent concerns about economic growth.

• US STOCKS-Wall St climbs for 4th day as Dow, S&P 500 hit new highs Thursday, 11 Apr 2013 | 3:00 PM ET

  NEW YORK, April 11- U.S. stocks rose for a fourth straight day on Thursday, sending the Dow and the S&P 500 to new all-time highs on positive jobs market data and forecasts for stronger retail sales. But on Thursday the Labor Department said first-time claims for jobless benefits fell far more than expected last week, dropping to the lower end of the range for the year.

• WRAPUP 2-U.S. chain store sales rise modestly as jobs, weather weigh Thursday, 11 Apr 2013 | 10:13 AM ET

  *TJX, Costco miss estimates; Ross Stores, L Brands beat. April 11- Several top U.S. retailers, including Costco Wholesale Corp and T.J. Maxx parent TJX Cos Inc, reported weaker-than-expected March sales as cold weather and lingering concerns about the job market chilled shoppers' enthusiasm.

• PCs Worse Than Expected: Even Asia Has Stopped Buying Thursday, 11 Apr 2013 | 9:43 AM ET

  

  Is it a surprise that PC shipments are declining? No, but two things stand out: the magnitude of the decline was steeper than expected, and now the Asians have stopped buying. That's news.

• Unusually Cold March Puts a Chill in Retail Sales Thursday, 11 Apr 2013 | 8:37 AM ET

  

  Retailers broadly missed analysts' estimates for same-store sales in March, a month that typically sees cold weather and slow hiring in the early weeks.

• Early Movers: JCP, BBBY, YUM & More Thursday, 11 Apr 2013 | 7:58 AM ET

  

  Some of the names on the move ahead of the open.

• WRAPUP 1-March sales rise at Costco, Victoria's Secret parent L Brands Thursday, 11 Apr 2013 | 7:48 AM ET

  April 11- Costco Wholesale Corp reported a slightly smaller-than-expected jump in same-store sales in March on Thursday, hurt by weak international results and lower gas prices, while Victoria's Secret parent L Brands Inc reported better-than-expected sales at all of its chains.

• WRAPUP 3-U.S. retailers have ho-hum start to spring, see better April Thursday, 11 Apr 2013 | 12:57 AM ET

  *TJX, Costco miss estimates; Ross Stores, L Brands beat. Several top U.S. retailers, including Costco Wholesale Corp and T.J. Maxx parent TJX Cos Inc, reported weaker-than-expected March sales. Costco's sales at stores open at least a year were up 4 percent, less than the 5.2 percent jump analysts expected.

• 2013 Dividend Plays Tuesday, 2 Apr 2013 | 4:17 PM ET

  

  Aggregate dividends per share for S&P 500 companies grew nearly 16 percent year-over-year at the end of last year, and the number of companies paying a dividend over the trailing month period hit a new, 13-year high, according to Factset.

• Who's the Best Boss? A New Winner Is Crowned Friday, 15 Mar 2013 | 12:54 PM ET

  

  Glassdoor's annual list of the 50 highest rated CEOs is out and there's a boss on top.

• Consumer Health Suggests Better GDP, Say Analysts Wednesday, 13 Mar 2013 | 9:22 AM ET

  

  Despite economic headwinds and uncertainty in Washington, US consumers are rocketing ahead, leading analysts to revisit their GDP forecasts for the first quarter.

• Dow Posts Record High for 3rd Day; S&P 500, Nasdaq Touch Multi-Year Highs Thursday, 7 Mar 2013 | 5:48 PM ET

  

  Stocks finished higher Thursday, with the Dow posting fresh all-time highs for the third-straight day, following an upbeat weekly jobless claims report and ahead of the widely-watched monthly government jobs data.

• UPDATE 2-Costco, Gap lead February U.S. retail sales gains Thursday, 7 Mar 2013 | 1:12 PM ET

  *Costco same-store sales up 6 percent; Gap up 3 percent. March 7- Gap Inc and Costco Wholesale Corp were among several U.S. chains on Thursday to report stronger-than-expected sales for February, when consumer confidence about an improving job market offset the impact of higher taxes.

• UPDATE 1-Costco, Limited Brands lead February retail sales gains Thursday, 7 Mar 2013 | 10:00 AM ET

  *Costco comparable sales up 6 percent, Limited up 3 percent. March 7- Victoria's Secret parent Limited Brands Inc and Costco Wholesale Corp were among several U.S. chains on Thursday to report stronger-than-expected sales for February, when consumer confidence about an improving job market offset the impact of higher taxes.

• Confidence Back? Several Retailers Top Sales Forecasts Thursday, 7 Mar 2013 | 8:39 AM ET

  

  After a difficult January, when shoppers first felt the effect of a payroll tax hike that lowered take-home pay by 2 percent, some retailers got a little relief in February from growing employment and a rising stock market.

• Costco, Limited Brands February sales beat forecasts Thursday, 7 Mar 2013 | 8:07 AM ET

  *Costco February comp sales up 6 percent, Limited up 3 percent. March 7- Victoria's Secret parent Limited Brands Inc and Costco Wholesale Corp reported better-than-expected sales for February, when consumer confidence about an improving job market offset the impact of higher taxes.

• Early Movers: SFD, DELL, PETM & More Thursday, 7 Mar 2013 | 8:02 AM ET

  

  Some of the names on the move ahead of the open.

• Retail Stocks Helped Propel Market Higher Tuesday, 5 Mar 2013 | 10:31 AM ET

  

  The past five years haven't been the brightest for the economy or consumers, but that hasn't held back retail stocks. It's been the consumer that has led the way for the Dow Jones Industrial Average since the Oct. 9, 2007, closing peak for the blue chip index, with two retailers landing among the top five performers since that time.

• US STOCKS-Wall St ends flat after late fade; S&P up for 4th month Thursday, 28 Feb 2013 | 4:42 PM ET

  *J.C. Penney, Groupon both sink on weak revenue. NEW YORK, Feb 28- U.S. stocks ended flat on Thursday, giving up modest gains late in the session, denying the Dow a chance to inch closer to all-time highs. JC Penney Co Inc was the day's biggest loser, falling 17 percent to $17.57 after the department store operator reported a steep drop in sales.