NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are edging higher after the government reported that retail sales rose for the ninth month in a row.
Retail sales rose 0.4 percent overall in March, though spending at gas stations accounted for most of the gains.
JPMorgan’s income rose 67 percent last quarter thanks to bigger fees from investment banking and smaller losses from credit card accounts. Its mortgage business remained weak, however, and the stock dipped slightly.
The Dow Jones industrial average is up 8 points, or 0.1 percent, to 12,272 in midday trading. The broader S&P 500 is essentially flat at 1,314. The Nasdaq composite is up 14, or 0.5 percent, to 2,759.
