Americans continue to open their wallets, despite record-low consumer sentiment due to the war with Iran, in part thanks to a resilient US labor market. Retail sales climbed 0.5% in April from the prior month, the Commerce Department said Thursday, down from March’s 1.6%. That was slightly below the 0.6% increase economists projected in a poll by data firm FactSet. The figures are adjusted for seasonal swings but not inflation. Various surveys show that US consumers have grown frustrated with price spikes associated with the conflict in the Middle East. Yet Americans may still continue to spend, so long as the ... (full story)