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U.S. retail sales should rise 2.5 percent this year, signaling that store chains have made it through the worst of the downturn as improvements in the housing and job markets bolster shoppers' confidence, a trade group forecast on Tuesday.

U.S. retail sales should rise 2.5 percent this year, signaling that store chains have made it through the worst of the downturn as improvements in the housing and job markets bolster shoppers' confidence, a trade group forecast on Tuesday.

The FTSE 100 index was essentially flat early in the London session, but proceeded to drop as much as 40 points, or 1.4 percent, after weaker than expected U.K. retail sales were announced at 9:30 am in London.

Three major regional banks said loan problems buffeted fourth-quarter results but may be coming under control after two hard years.

As U.S. stocks have risen in value since November, various measures of retail and consumer activity during the period are lagging.

JPMorgan Chase & Co's average deposits were $329.8 billion last quarter, down 3% quarter-on-quarter and down 3% year-on-year, despite increasing both its number of branches and checking accounts from last quarter.

The S&P 500 index rose 0.24% on Thursday to close at 1,148.46 points while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.28%, to end at 10,710.55.

U.S. consumers unexpectedly curbed their Christmas spending in December and more people filed claims for jobless benefits last week, casting fresh doubts on the durability of the economic recovery once government support fades.

U.S. consumers curbed their Christmas spending in December and more people filed claims for jobless benefits last week, casting fresh doubts on whether the economic recovery can last once government support fades.

Lotte Group, which operates South Korea's second-largest retailer Lotte Shopping, said it was considering buying GS Retail's department store and discount store operations.

Stocks edged higher on Thursday as optimism about forthcoming earnings from technology bellwether Intel Corp overcame doubts about the pace of economic recovery stirred by a drop in December U.S. retail sales.

Venture capitalists were never very interested in the retail sector, but they are now taking a second look, focusing on a new generation of online retailers and the next wave of technology to help stores optimize how they run their businesses.

Sales at U.S. retailers unexpectedly fell in December as consumer spent less on vehicles and an array of other goods during the holiday shopping month, data showed on Thursday, raising concerns about the durability of the economy's recovery.

Bank of America Corp said on Tuesday it would shift its chief financial officer to a job running its retail operations and seek a replacement CFO, one of several moves by new Chief Executive Brian Moynihan to put his imprint on the bank.

Retailers are using a host of strategies in adapting to the downturn -- from improving their products to expanding their e-commerce businesses -- which they hope will better position themselves for a rebound in the economy.

U.S. retailers are in for a much better year as the economy improves, but stubborn unemployment and high consumer debt levels will limit the extent of the recovery, industry experts said on Monday.

U.S. employment companies are reporting higher demand for temporary and technology workers, in a sign that business confidence is returning but that employers are still reluctant to hire full-time workers.

The Dow and S&P 500 edged higher on Thursday after a better-than-expected read on weekly jobless claims, a day before the release of key monthly non-farm payrolls data.

The number of U.S. workers filing new jobless claims edged up by a slim 1,000 last week and a gauge of underlying labor market trends hit a nearly 16-month low, evidence the job market continues to heal.

Stocks were little changed on Thursday after the government said jobless claims rose slightly, with investors in a holding pattern ahead of key monthly non-farm payroll data on Friday.

Futures for the Dow Jones industrial average, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 fell 0.02 to 0.2 percent, pointing to a weaker start on Wall Street on Tuesday.