The Commerce Department says Friday that retail sales rose 1.3 percent in November. That's more than double the increase analysts had been expecting.
More good news came as the preliminary Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment index increased more than expected for December.
For the day, the Dow Jones industrials are up 66 at 10,472, a third straight gain. The Standard & Poor's 500 index is up 4 at 1,106. The Nasdaq composite index is down 1 at 2,190.
Two stocks rose for every one that fell on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume totaled 1 billion compared with 1.1 billion Thursday.
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