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A MasterCard report estimated overall retail sales excluding auto and gas grew 7.9 percent, with e-commerce and furniture scoring big gains, despite a drop in sales of men's apparel.
Analysts said trading volume remained low Wednesday in a traditionally sleepy period of the year between Christmas and the New Year.
About 20 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average stood at 19,948.42, up less than 0.1 percent.