The US economy continues to show support for better fortunes for many of the companies in the market. The second quarter GDP data will be released soon, and many economists expect GDP will have expanded 4.0% on an annualized basis. Overall expansion for 2018 is expected to be 3.0%. The economy is supported by a robust US consumer, with the past five months showing continued upward spending in retail sales. Consumer spending is crucial for the market, since it makes up a large part of GDP. Consumer spending also set ups business spending and investment, and the overall gains in business sales to consumers continue to remain quite robust. Retail trade has climbed from the 2.1% year-over-ye