Canadian retail sales posted their third healthy increase in a row in May, a sign of economic strength that could boost the case for the Bank of Canada to hike rates again this year. Sales rose by 0.6 percent from April to hit a record C$48.91 billion ($38.82 billion), Statistics Canada said on Friday. The increase was much greater than the 0.2 percent advance forecast by analysts in a Reuters poll. The central bank last week raised interest rates for the first time in nearly seven years, citing the need to look through soft inflation. It also vowed to wait for more economic data before committing to its next move. ... (full story)