Around 2:00 p.m. GMT, the Dow Jones gained 0.91%, the Nasdaq 1.98% and the S&P 500 1.35%.

The day before, the indices had concluded mixed, always concerned about inflation and the risks of recession.

The Dow Jones had nibbled 0.08% to 32,223.42 points.

The high-tech Nasdaq dropped 1.20% to 11,662.79 points.

The S&P 500 had lost 0.39% to 4,008.01 points.

The indices, already up sharply before the opening, reacted positively to the retail sales figure in the United States which in April rose as expected by 0.9%, suggesting that demand remains robust despite inflation.

In addition, March sales were revised upwards to 1.4% instead of the 0.5% initially announced.

Analysts, however, pointed out that the increase in sales reflected not only the strength of consumers, but also the rise in prices.

"Going forward, consumer tolerance for high inflation will continue to be tested and the renewed spike in gasoline prices, combined with tighter financial conditions, will weigh on households' willingness to spend on expensive items,” warned Lydia Boussour of Oxford Economics.

But, according to the economist, "strong fundamentals, including robust growth in labor incomes and an accumulation of savings, should continue to support consumer spending".

Yields on ten-year US Treasury bonds, which fell the day before with fears of recession, rose again to approach the 3% mark again, at 2.97%.

In the afternoon, investors were going to watch the interview, during a conference organized by the Wall Street Journal, of Jerome Powell, chairman of the American Federal Reserve (Fed).

On the side, Twitter, in loss before the opening, gleaned 0.78% to 37.68 dollars while the social network is at the center of negotiations with Elon Musk, vying for its takeover.

The Tesla boss is once again conditioning his hostile offer on guarantees on "bots" and spam: he indicated that the operation would not be completed until he had proof that less than 5% accounts are fake.

The title of the electric car manufacturer advanced 4.36% to 756 dollars.

On the distribution side, the supermarket giant Walmart fell 8.86% to 135 dollars after announcing a 25% reduction in profit and lowering its forecast for the rest of the year.

The group attributes this development to the increase in its expenses for food, gasoline and salaries.

The DIY chain Home Depot (+3.42% to 306 dollars), on the other hand, announced an increase in its sales forecasts (+3%) for the whole of the year.

And for the first quarter, while analysts predicted a decline in sales of more than 2%, they increased by 2.2% while earnings per share also exceeded forecasts.

Citigroup securities were highly sought after (+5.52% to 50 dollars) after billionaire Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway holding took a substantial stake in the bank.

The fund revealed that it had acquired some 55 million shares of Citigroup for a value of nearly $3 billion.

In Berkshire's portfolio, Citi thus joins Bank of America, the fund's second holding after Apple, but also Ally Financial, US Bancorp, Mastercard and Visa in particular.

On the other hand, Warren Buffett offloaded his shares in Wells Fargo in the first quarter.

United Airlines soared 6.27% to 46.27 dollars.

UAL will be able to fly its 52 Boeing 777s again, after a green light from the air regulatory authorities (FAA), according to CNBC.

The company also said it expected a 25% increase in travel demand compared to 2019, before the pandemic.

© 2022 AFP