US stocks climbed today as strong April retail sales and a steep drop in oil prices alleviated investors’ worries about a greater-than-forecast jump in labour costs.

Bombings at three hotels in Jordan erased most of an afternoon rally on Wall Street today, leaving stocks with only marginal gains as the market’s fears about terrorism resurfaced.

A rise in oil prices sent stocks falling in the United States today as traders worried about the damage that Hurricane Rita might wreak on Texas refineries. The Dow Jones industrial average lost more than 100 points.