Retail ETFs Rally as Markets Brush Off Inflation

Market Wrap-Up

Stocks saw a bit of a lift Thursday as financials recovered, Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) reported solid earnings and the market brushed off an unexpectedly high inflation number, carrying retail ETFs on a rising tide.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average regained a portion of two days' worth of consecutive losses, closing up 83 points, or 0.73%. Gold prices fell $17 an ounce to close at $814.50, while oil had a 99-cent-a-barrel drop to close at $115.01.

Winners

Big doings in Bentonville, Ark., Wal-Mart's headquarters, boosted the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) and Retail HOLDRS Trust (RTH). Steady gains from Apple (AAPL) and Qualcomm (QCOM) helped the tech-heavy PowerShares QQQ Trust (QQQQ).

Losers

Renewed confidence in stocks and the dollar hitting a five-and-a-half-month high against the euro prompted a gold selloff, which deflated SPDR Gold Shares (GLD). A corresponding slip in silver prices, which fell 61.5 cents, or 4.1%, to close at $14.23 an ounce, dinged the iShares Silver Trust (SLV).

Friday's Notebook

Earnings
Abercrombie & Fitch, J.C. Penney, New York & Co., WSP Holdings

Economic Data
August N.Y. Fed Manufacturing Index (8:30 a.m.)
June Treasury International Capital Flows (9:00 a.m.)
July Industrial Production (9:15 a.m.)
July Capacity Utilization (9:15 a.m.)
Mid-August Reuters/University of Michigan Sentiment Index (9:55 a.m.)

Quick Take

A look at how some of the industry's most popular ETFs did Thursday.

10 Largest ETFs
Symbol	Net Assets	Price	52 Week High	52 Week Low	Volume
SPY	71,655	129.54	156.39	121.48	239,429,954
EFA	43,645	63.58	85.64	63.72	10,306,681
EEM	20,935	40.91	55.13	39.16	34,168,351
GLD	19,258	79.35	99.81	65.04	15,505,592
IVV	16,690	129.74	156.65	121.69	2,026,838
QQQQ	16,302	48.28	55.03	41.17	157,895,785
IWF	13,253	55.34	63.64	52.79	2,029,059
SHY	9,070	82.91	84.49	80.66	1,061,382
VTI	10,116	65.12	77.66	60.89	1,612,791
IWD	8,091	69.46	88.24	64.01	1,479,772