Dive Summary:

• As analysts eagerly anticipate the retail sales report, U.S. stocks continued to climb for a fourth consecutive day on Thursday due to a rally for retail.
• The numbers on retail sales have climbed more than anticipated due to higher than expected retail sales and lower-than-predicted jobless claims, two main factors in early predictions for 2013.
• Individual investors remain cautious despite the news, according to a survey by the American Association of Individual Investors released April 11, 2013.

From the article:

“What’s going on right now is a positive confidence loop,” Cameron Hinds, regional chief investment officer for Wells Fargo Private Bank, which has about $170 billion under management, said in a phone interview. “It’s almost like the market’s going up because of a self-fulfillment circle, and it’s almost like we need a new negative to keep the market from going up. And I don’t know what that is.”