NEW YORK - Stocks surged Thursday, carrying the Dow Jones industrials into record territory as investors gleaned positive consumer spending trends from retailers' June sales reports.
A new bid for aluminum maker Alcan Inc. added to the upbeat mood on Wall Street, which drove the Dow up more than 100 points to a new intraday high.
Though retail sales on the whole appeared to be crimped last month by higher gasoline prices and a tepid housing market, a few reports beat Street expectations - notably that of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, which posted a better-than-expected 2.4 percent jump in sales at stores open at least a year.
Wal-Mart, one …
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