Wall St Week Ahead: Health of US consumer in focus

As earnings season kicks off, stocks are on a roll. — Reuters

NEW YORK: The health of the US consumer moves into the spotlight next week, with investors watching corporate earnings reports and retail sales data for further confirmation of the economic resilience that has boosted equity markets this month.

As earnings season kicks off, stocks are on a roll. The benchmark S&P 500 is set to post its fifth straight weekly gain and is hovering near a fresh record high after rising over 21% this year.