GLOBAL MARKETS - Stocks Edge Up, Yields Fall as US Data, Tariff Risk Gauged

GLOBAL MARKET - NEW YORK. A benchmark of global stocks hit a record on Friday while U.S. Treasury yields dipped as some soft U.S. data and the latest tariff announcements raised hopes that the Federal Reserve may have some cushion to be more aggressive in cutting interest rates. 

The Commerce Department said retail sales dropped 0.9% last month, the biggest decrease since March 2023, after an upwardly revised 0.7% increase in December, and well short of the 0.1% decline estimate of economists polled by Reuters, suggesting rising prices and tariff uncertainty may be leading consumers to tighten spending.