After three days of losses, stock markets closed higher Friday morning in response to strong retail sales data.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 112 points, or 0.4 percent, and the S&P 500 increased less than 1 point, essentially flat.
September retail sales increased 1.9 percent, well above expectations, showing some resilience in the consumer-driven economy that has been battered by the coronavirus.
Markets have been shaky amid a frenetic push and pull between the Trump White House, House Democrats and Senate Republicans over additional fiscal stimulus. Trump has signaled his willingness to up his $1.8 trillion offer, as Democrats continue to push for a $2.2 trillion package with specific policy riders Trump opposes.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has repeatedly signaled his opposition to a package of that magnitude and is pushing a $500 billion bill for a vote.
Updated at 4:03 p.m.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
