Tuesday

U.S. stocks rose sharply, aided by a strong industrial production report from China and a reading on U.S. retail sales that wasn't as bad as economists had expected. Home Depot led the blue-chip index higher, advancing 3.8%, while Caterpillar rose 2.5%, and Boeing gained 2.8%. Investor sentiment turned more cheerful after the Commerce Department said U.S. retail sales dropped only .2% last month, smaller than the .6% decline economists had expected. At the same time, a strong industrial production report from China suggests that the world's No. 2 economy is still robust, despite a tighter monetary policy aimed at curbing inflation. DJIA +123.14 Nasdaq +39.03 S&P 500 +16.04.