The US dollar and US Treasury yields rose yesterday while Wall Street indexes were flat after solid retail data and North Korea’s leader delayed a decision on firing missiles.

US data showed the biggest increase in retail sales in seven months in July as consumers boosted purchases of motor vehicles and lifted discretionary spending, suggesting the economy continued to gain momentum.

But stocks did not appear to get a lift from the data and the lull in rhetoric between the United States and Korea a day after the S&P 500 achieved its third one per cent gain so far this year.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 10.03 points, or 0.05 per cent, to 22,003.74, the S&P 500 gained 0.19 points, or 0.01 per cent, to 2,466.03 and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.93 points, or 0.01 per cent, to 6,341.16.

The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index rose 0.09 per cent.

Benchmark US Treasury yields hit one-week highs as investors pared low-risk bond holdings on signs of easing United States-North Korean tensions and strong domestic retail sales and regional factory activity data.

Benchmark 10-year notes last fell 10/32 in price to yield 2.2535 per cent, from 2.218 per cent late on Monday.

The dollar rose to its highest level in nearly three weeks against a basket of major currencies after the data.

The dollar index rose 0.47 per cent, with the euro down 0.42 per cent to $1.1729.

The Japanese yen weakened 0.76 per cent versus the greenback at 110.48 per dollar, while Sterling was last trading at $1.2861, down 0.79 per cent on the day.

Spot gold dropped 0.7 percent to $1,272.83 an ounce.

Oil prices extended Monday’s heavy sell-off, weighed down by a surge in the US dollar and signs of weaker demand in China, the world’s second-largest consumer.

US crude fell 0.59 per cent to $47.31 per barrel and Brent was last at $50.41, down 0.63 per cent on the day.