Investors chose to brush aside a report showing a surprise drop in retail sales, sending stocks mildly higher Thursday as retailer Wal-Mart’s better-than-expected earnings and a positive debt auction helped markets hold on to Wednesday’s rally.  Trade was choppy earlier in the session as stocks looked for direction but some bargain hunting towards the end lifted the markets.  Surprising second quarter economic growth from French and German economies also lifted sentiments on the Street.

The Dow Jones industrial average added 37 points, or 0.4%, and closed at its highest point since November 4.  The broad S&P 500 index added 7 points, or 0.7%, and closed at its highest level since October 6.  The tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 10.63 points, or 0.5%, ending at its highest point since October 1.  On the New York Stock Exchange 776 million shares exchanged hands and advancing stocks outpaced those that fell two to one.