AP NewsWatch

I'm Ben Thomas with an AP News Minute.

Despite his sometimes contradictory remarks on the Iran War, President Trump's talk of ending

it boosted financial markets today, while prices remain high, but Brent crude eased back

to around $101 per barrel.

And stocks rallied the Dow Rose 224 points are about half a percent.

The S&P gained 0.7 percent, the NASDAQ 1.2 percent.

Meanwhile, we got a pre-war report on retail sales.

Mike Kempin has it.

The Commerce Department says retail sales rose 0.6 percent in February, after dropping

0.1 percent in January.

But there is a concern that Americans, already squeezed by years, have elevated inflation,

will cut spending because of higher gas prices.

The average price per gallon jumped another 4 cents overnight, and is now 406 a gallon.

The price has increased more than $1 a gallon since the start of the war.

I'm Mike Kempin.

There's more news at apnews.com, I'm Ben Thomas.