Stocks are higher again this morning after the Commerce Department Report that showed retail sales surged 9.8% in March as additional stimulus sent consumer spending soaring.

The cost of imports surged in March for the fourth month in a row and added to growing inflationary pressures in the U.S., as a resurgent economy spawns strong demand for a host of goods ranging from lumber to computer chips to new cars.  The import price index leaped 1.2% in last month.  The cost of imports began to surge at the end of last year. Rising oil prices were the chief cause at first, but now the prices of many goods and services are increasing as demand rebounds and supplies fail to keep up.

Shares of Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America all traded sharply higher as all three banks reported earnings that were higher than expected.   Bank stocks have risen sharply so far this year, with the S&P 500 financials sector gaining nearly 20%, easily outpacing the S&P 500.