US Pending Home Sales Rise 1.5%, Beat Forecasts After Retail Surge

US pending home sales climbed 1.5% in March to an index of 73.7, topping 0.9% forecasts and following a revised 2.5% February gain, capping a strong consumer data day. Earlier, March retail sales surged 1.7% m/m to $752.1bn versus 1.4% expected, with ex-autos up 1.9%, core ex-gas/autos at 0.6-0.7%, and gasoline prices spiking 24.1% amid the Iran conflict. S&P 500 futures rose 26 points on resilient spending signals, boosting equity sentiment despite Fed policy and inflation risks.