Stocks Climb

Stocks stepped up on Monday. Boeing led the Dow’s ascent. Indices ended in green territory on a variety of economic news. The Commerce Department said retail sales increased by a less-than-expected 0.4% in June. Down from May’s 0.5% jump, economists were anticipating an 0.8% uptick. Meanwhile, Citigroup posted gains today after reporting better-than-expected second-quarter results. In rating moves, Tiffany & Co. moved up following a Stifel Financial Corp. upgrade to “buy” from “hold.” On another note, GDP growth in China slowed slightly in the second quarter. The National Bureau of Statistics said gross domestic product climbed 7.5% from a year ago, retreating from a 7.7% expansion in the first quarter.

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