Retail Sector Wildly Mixed on Weak June Sales

If March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, then June has come in like...an anemic bunny, perhaps?

Sales for the first week of the month rose .2%, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs. "As weather turned cooler than last year, gasoline prices continues to inch higher and the industry faced tax-rebate-inflated sales comparisons, the fiscal month of June began on a soft note on a week-over-week," Michael P. Niemira, ICSC chief economist, said in a statement.

On a year-over-year basis, however, sales actually declined .8%, the largest dip in five weeks. ...