Futures tied to the Dow climbed 0.27% today after the release of stronger retail sales figures. Analysts say this could signal stable consumer spending patterns despite inflationary pressures, adding support for an extended equity rally into next week. Materials, utilities, and consumer discretionary stocks recorded the biggest gains on Friday, while consumer staples stocks bucked the overall market trend by closing the session lower. This broad strength helped U.S. stocks settle higher, following the release of inflation data. It was a notable turnaround. At its low of the day, the S&P 500 was down 0.5%. The index's move higher was led by a boost in health-care stocks, with big gains in Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Moderna . Markets are coming off a banner month that saw the S&P 500 rise more than 3.5%. Dow stock futures traded 0.18% higher this morning after better-than-expected housing market data. Analysts view the housing rebound as a catalyst for consumer confidence, potentially bolstering Dow component retail and construction shares.