S&P 500, Dow gain as upbeat retail sales offset recession fears

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 99.97 points, or 0.39%, to 25, 579.39, the S&P 500 gained 7 points, or 0.25%, to 2, 847.6, and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 7.32 points, or 0.09%, to 7, 766.62

NEW YORK: The S&P 500 and the Dow gained ground in a late rally on Thursday as upbeat retail sales data offset recessionary fears amid the simmering U.S.-China trade tensions.

Wall Street zig-zagged from red to black and back much of the day as investors juggled mixed messages of a strong consumer and dropping U.S. Treasury yields.