Retail sales rose in September for the first time in 13 months, fueling hopes that the worst is behind retailers that head into the holiday season better prepared for a tough economic environment.

Yesterday, the euphoria on Wall Street broke for a while as investors paused for thought to digest crappy July retail figures. Even with the feds funneling borrowed cash into the economy and high-profile government boondoggles such as the “cash for clunkers” program working, Americans are still doing the sensible thing and cutting back on spending. July retail sales dipped 0.1%, and the Dow, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq all took lumps.

Goldman posts a nice profit…  I smell a rat!  Euro nears the 1.41 mark… Again!  Gold manipulation? And Now… Today’s Pfennig!

Retail Sales Rise; Eurozone Output Up; Intel Posts Loss, Lower Sales; KFC/Pizza Hut Parent Sees Profit Rise; Layoffs Ground US Airways; Continental Records $44 Million Charge; Wells Fargo Sells $600 Million in Bad Mortgages?

Jobs data skewed by ’seasonal adjustments’…  BOE surprises the market…  Oil falls below $60…  China’s reserves continue to grow… And Now… Today’s Pfennig!

Jobless Claims Fall; China Detains Four Rio Tinto Employees for Alleged Espionage; Retail Roughed Up in June; China Auto Sales Skyrocket; Broadcom Drops Acquisition Attempt; Mortgage Rates Fall; Madoff Won’t Appeal Sentence

Pickens’ Wind Farm Delayed; Apple Tarnished by SEC Scrutiny; UBS May Settle Tax Dispute; Higher Gas Prices Help Reduce Traffic; Discount Retailer Thrives in Recession; Pepsi Bottling Profits Rise

Stocks fall again… Rob Parenteau on what it will take to move markets higher… Are U.S. equities turning Japanese? Two charts that might have you thinking so… The ultimate indicator? One d-list data point that’s marked the end of recessions since 1970… President, mainstream media wake up to debt dilemma… our executive sounds off… Plus, a sector still “growing explosively,” despite the recession…

Are consumers’ happy days here again, or are the recent signs that growth in sales, confidence and an overall improvement in the economy just a mirage?