Retail Sales Miss the Mark

Updated from 9:47 a.m. EDT

U.S. retail chains reported another soft month of sales on Thursday as bad weather and high gas prices kept shoppers at bay in June.

The results fueled Wall Street's concerns about consumer spending, but analysts were quick to point out that retailers were facing their toughest monthly comparisons in over a year.

Ken Perkins, president of RetailMetrics LLC, said his firm's index tracking over 60 major retailers showed a 2.8% overall increase in same-store sales for the month, missing its previous forecast that called for a 3% gain. ...