Take Your Position: Retail Sales

With retailers on deck to release their April sales figures, many investors are hoping the figures will show the consumer is alive and well.

What should you expect?

Warm weather and a desire to refresh wardrobes should have helped U.S. retailers increase sales in April, showing consumers are willing to spend a little more in an improving economy.

Analysts are expecting same-store sales to have risen 1.7 percent in April, compared with a drop of 2.7 percent last year, according to Thomson Reuters data.

That follows a record 9.1 percent rise in March, when consumers moved up spring purchases due to an early Easter holiday. Many industry experts are looking at the combined two-month results as a better gauge of consumer strength.

An April increase would also mark the eighth consecutive month of rising sales after a year's worth of declines as consumers warm up to spending on nonessential items again and retailers craft new strategies to entice shoppers.

What names should you consider?

Stephen Weiss, author of The Billion Dollar Mistake, suggests a long position in Home Depot and Sherwin-Williams .

"6 months from now I believe these stocks will be higher,” he says. "In my view this is the best way to play.”

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Trader disclosure: On May 5, 2010, the following stocks and commodities mentioned or intended to be mentioned on CNBC’s Fast Money were owned by the Fast Money traders; Terranova Owns (C) May Calls; Terranova Owns (PFE), (SWN), (XCO), (TER); Terranova Is Long Gold June 2010 Futures; Terranova Is Short (CMA); Finerman's Firm Is Short (IYR), (IJR), (MDY), (SPY); Finerman's Firm Is Long S&P Puts; Finerman Owns (AAPL); Finerman's Firm Owns (AEO), (AEO) Calls; Finerman's Firm Owns (BAC), (BAC) Calls; Finerman Owns (BAC), (BAC) Preferred; Finerman's Firm Owns (BP) Calls; Finerman Owns (GOOG); Finerman Owns (GS) Calls; Finerman's Firm Owns (IBM); Finerman's Firm And Finerman Own (RIG), (RIG) Calls; Finerman Owns (WFC) Preferred; Najarian Owns (C) Calls; Najarian Owns (CLF) Call Spread; Najarian Owns (LPX) Call Spread; Najarian Owns (MS); Najarian Owns (PFE); Najarian Owns (YHOO) Call Spread; Kelly Owns (FXE) Puts; Kelly Owns (FXB) Puts; Levy Owns (GS)

For Joe Terranova:
Terranova Works For (VRTS)
Terranova Is Chief Market Strategist Of Virtus Investment Partners, Ltd.
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (AMKR)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (IGE)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (DBV)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLB)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLV)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLP)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLY)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLI)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLU)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (DRYS)

For Brian Kelly
Kanundrum Capital Is Long U.S. Dollars
Kanundrum Capital Owns (TLT)
Kanundrum Capital Is Long (GLD)
Kanundrum Captial Owns (GFI)
Kanundrum Capital Is Long (AUY)
Kanundrum Capital Is Long (GFI)
Kanundrum Capital Is Short Euro
Kanundrum Capital Is Short Yen
Kanundrum Capital Is Short Pound
Kanundrum Capital Is Short Franc
Kanundrum Capital Is Short (USO)
Kanundrum Capital Is Short (RSX)
Kanundrum Capital Is Short (FXI)
Kanundrum Capital Is Short (DE)
Kanundrum Capital Is Short (NUE)
Kanundrum Capital Is Short (SU)
Kanundrum Capital Is Short (EXPE)
Kanundrum Capital Is Short (XOM)
Kanundrum Capital Is Short (HES)
Kanundrum Captial Is Short (CLF)
Kanundrum Captial Is Short (TSL)
Kanundrum Captial Is Short (HBC)
Kanundrum Captial Is Short (BCS)
Kanundrum Captial Is Short (DB)
Kanundrum Captial Is Short (NUE)
Kanundrum Captial Is Short (IBM)

For Anthony Scaramucci:
Scaramucci Owns (AAPL), Skybridge Owns (AAPL)
Scaramucci Owns (BAC), Skybridge Owns (BAC)
Scaramucci Owns (C), Skybridge Owns (C)
Scaramucci Owns (GOOG), Skybridge Owns (GOOG)
Scaramucci Owns (GS), Skybridge Owns (GS)
Scaramucci Owns (JPM), Skybridge Owns (JPM)
Scaramucci Is Long U.S. Dollar, Skybridge Is Long U.S. Dollar

For Hilary Kramer
A&G Capital Owns (PMI)
A&G Capital Owns (MTG)
A&G Capital Owns (XCO)
A&G Capital Owns (GS)
A&G Capital Owns (MS)
A&G Capital Owns (QQQQ)
Hilary Kramer Is A Client Of Goldman Sachs

For Jared Levy
Peak6 Investments Is Long And Has An Options Position In (GS)
Peak6 Investments Is Long And Has An Options Position In (JPM)
Peak6 Investments Is Long And Has An Options Position In (C)
Peak6 Investments Is Long And Has An Options Position In (BAC)
Peak6 Investments Is Long And Has An Options Position In (WFC)
Peak6 Investments Is Long And Has An Options Position In (AA)
Peak6 Investments Is Long And Has An Options Position In (USO)
Peak6 Investments Is Long And Has An Options Position In (OIH)
Peak6 Investments Is Long And Has An Options Position In (COP)
Peak6 Investments Is Long And Has An Options Position In (PMI)
Peak6 Investments Is Long And Has An Options Position In (BP)
Peak6 Investments Is Long And Has An Options Position In (AAPL)
Peak6 Investments Is Short And Has An Options Position In (MS)
Peak6 Investments Is Short And Has An Options Position In (XLF)
Peak6 Investments Is Short And Has An Options Position In (FCX)
Peak6 Investments Is Short And Has An Options Position In (SPY)
Peak6 Investments Is Short And Has An Options Position In (QQQQ)
Peak6 Investments Is Short And Has An Options Position In (XOM)
Peak6 Investments Is Short And Has An Options Position In (CVX)
Peak6 Investments Is Short And Has An Options Position In (MTG)
Peak6 Investments Is Short And Has An Options Position In (RDN)
Peak6 Investments Is Short And Has An Options Position In (RIG)

For Mike Khouw
Cantor Firtzgerald & Co. Is A Market Maker In (CLF)

For Stephen Weiss
Weiss Owns (HD), (MWA), (BP), (MRK), (HBAN), (NMM), (FRO), (WCBO)

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