Retail ETFs (PMR, XRT, RTH)

Chain store sales rose 3.2% last week compared to the prior year, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs GS. Sales rose for the week ending July 10 vs. the comparable week in 2009, although sales fell 1.5% week-over-week within this July. The ICSC is looking for same-store sales to rise 3% to 4% in July overall, vs. a 5% decline in July 2009. A check of some retail-base ETFs from the ETFChannel.com Retail ETF Finder: the Dynamic Retail Portfolio PMR is trading higher by over seven tenths of a percent on Tuesday, while the SPDR S&P Retail ETF XRT is trading higher by over 1.1 percent. The Retail HOLDRS RTH is trading higher by over nine tenths of a percent