Consumer Company Stocks Up Ahead Of Retail Sales Report - Consumer Roundup

Shares of retailers and other consumer-services companies rose ahead of a retail sales report for July and earnings from Walmart and Target later in the week. Retailers sold off heavily last week after major department stores reported further sales declines. "This is a big week for the health of the consumer, as many retailers will announce quarterly earnings along with monthly retail sales data," said Ryan Detrick, senior investment strategist at brokerage LPL Financial. "The economy looks solid, but consumers still aren't spending as much as we'd like this late in the cycle." VF Corp., owner of clothing brands such as North Face and Timberland, agreed to buy Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing, the maker of Dickie workwear, for $820 million in cash.

-Rob Curran, rob.curran@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

August 14, 2017 16:28 ET (20:28 GMT)