Retail sales in the United States inched up 1% sequentially in July 2024, following a downwardly revised 0.2% drop in June and way better than forecasts of a 0.3% gain. It is the biggest increase since January 2023, with sales at motor vehicle and part dealers rising the most (3.6%), followed by sales at electronics and appliance stores (1.6%). Barring sales of food services, auto dealers, building materials stores and gasoline stations, sales rose 0.3%, compared to 0.9% in June and forecasts of 0.1%. Below we highlight a few areas and the related ETFs & stocks that may benefit handsomely from the retail sales. Winning Areas Electronics & Appliance Stores Sales gained 1.6% sequentially in July and 5.2% year over year. Rise in electronics sales should boost semiconductor funds and stocks. VanEck Vectors Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ: SMH) – The underlying ...