J.C. Penney Co. Inc. helped lead the WWD Global Stock Tracker to its first gain of the year.
The 100 fashion, retail and beauty stocks monitored by WWD collectively rose 1.4 percent, to 107.64, breaking a five-day losing steak dating back to Dec. 30.
No tracker component came close to Penney’s 20.3 percent gain, to $7.89, following its disclosure late Tuesday that its same-store sales rose 3.7 percent during the November-December holiday rush and are expected to rise at the high end of its guidance for a 2 to 4 percent increase in the fourth quarter.
The news lifted the market capitalizations of U.S. retailers, helping The Bon-Ton Stores Inc. advance 9 percent to $7.36, American Eagle Outfitters Inc. grow 4.9 percent to $14.63 and Gap Inc. rise 4.8 percent to $43.60. Macy’s Inc. and Dillard’s Inc. shares rose 4.1 and 4 percent, respectively, to $67.55 and $122.76.
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While the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 broke out of their recent slumps, both rising 1.2 percent to 17,584.52 and 2,025.90, respectively, the S&P 500 Retailing Industry Group did nearly 1 point better, increasing 2.1 percent to 1,018.27.
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Most European markets closed the day with gains despite the terrorist shootings at a Paris newspaper and word that countries in the euro zone saw prices decline in December, pressured by the drop in fuel.
London’s FTSE 100 closed with a 0.8 percent gain to 6,419.83 and the CAC 40 in Paris put together a 0.7 percent advance to 4,112.73 while the DAX in Frankfurt was up 0.5 percent to 9,518.18.
However, the FTSE MIB in Milan declined 0.1 percent to 18,123.45.
Outside of the retail winners, strong gains among tracker stocks came from Luen Thai Holdings Ltd., up 5.8 percent to 1.53 Hong Kong dollars, or 20 cents at current exchange, and Vince Holding Corp., up 4.6 percent to $23.80.
Tracker stocks on the descent included Yoox.com, off 5.6 percent to 16.26 euros, or $19.33; Elizabeth Arden Inc., 5.5 percent to $17.89, and Debenhams plc, 4.2 percent to 74 pence, or $1.12. Also falling were Youngor Group Co., down 2.3 percent to 11.74 yuan, or $1.89, and Fossil Group Inc., down 2.2 percent to $104.93.
Some of the advances could be attributed to an increase in the price of crude oil, to $49 a barrel. Additionally, the euro held its own against the U.S. dollar, trading at $1.18.