Wall Street pushes higher despite retail figures

Wall Street pushed higher today as investors looked past a weaker-than-expected report on jobless claims and tepid November retail figures. The Dow Jones industrials reached their highest level in 18 months.

Trading was uneven as investors were tentative a day after the Nasdaq composite index brushed the 2,000 level for the first time in nearly two years, and the Dow approached the 10,000 mark.