The foundation for a gradually improving U.S. economy has been laid by resurgent manufacturers and higher consumer spending. Both of these areas will have to remain strong to prevent a recovery from petering out again. Investors will get a closer look at what’s happening to manufacturers and consumers this week with key reports on U.S. retail spending and the Philadelphia Fed’s business-outlook survey. Wall Street will also pay closer attention to the weekly jobless claims report after a surprising spike over the past two weeks. (full story)