Stocks gain on the week | Americans keep buying stuff | Virus 'epicenter' stocks to rally?

Stocks finished Friday mostly flat as the S&P 500 once again failed to overtake its February record highs.

VIEW IN BROWSER | SUBSCRIBE FRI, AUG 14, 2020 EVENING BRIEF AS OF FRI, AUG 14, 2020 • 04:53 ET DJIA 27931.02 +0.12% +34.30 S&P 500 3372.85 -0.02% -0.58 NASDAQ 11019.30 -0.21% -23.20   Most Active DOW NAME LAST CHG %CHG AAPL 459.63 -0.41 -0.09% BA 178.08 +3.35 +1.92% CSCO 42.50 -0.22 -0.52% S&P 500 NAME LAST CHG %CHG GE 6.66 +0.06 +0.91% BAC 26.47 +0.12 +0.46% AAL 13.33 +0.03 +0.23% NASDAQ NAME LAST CHG %CHG AAL 13.33 +0.03 +0.23% AMD 81.30 -0.54 -0.66% AAPL 459.63 -0.41 -0.09%   EDITOR'S NOTE On their face, U.S. retail sales for July were somewhat disappointing. However, a closer look at the numbers reveals a more upbeat picture.   The Commerce Department said retail sales rose by 1.2%, missing a Dow Jones estimate of 2.3%. Excluding autos, though, retail sales beat the consensus with a 1.9% gain.  Aneta Markowska, chief economist at Jefferies, said in a note that even the overall sales number was impressive considering "(1) the already high-level of retail activity (2) the Covid resurgence in the South and the West; and (3) fading fiscal support." Friday's data came as the S&P 500 struggled once again to reach its record high set in February. The broader market index came within half a percent of taking out its intraday all-time high earlier this week.   However, a constant rotation between tech stocks and shares of companies that benefit from the economy reopening — coupled with uncertainty around a coronavirus fiscal stimulus bill — kept the index below its record high.   Frank Cappelleri, executive director at Instinet, also noted there are some signs of exhaustion in the market after its blistering rally off the March low.   Subscribe to CNBC PRO for exclusive insights and analysis, and live business day programming from around the world. Fred Imbert | CNBC Markets Reporter @foimbert TOP NEWS  Stocks close Friday flat, S&P 500 posts slight gain for the week Trump tries to push for a coronavirus stimulus deal — after Congress has left town Americans keep buying stuff despite the pandemic — retail sales rise for a third straight month Retail sales bounced to an all-time high, but lack of stimulus from Congress puts gains at risk Here's why this recession has been different from any other Starboard Value's Jeffrey Smith cuts EBay stake, bets big on software The clothing rental start-up Rent the Runway is closing all of its stores for good Republican National Convention's primetime lineup will showcase Trump every night, federal properties New York Gov. Cuomo says museums, bowling alleys to reopen in NYC, and gyms may be next Strategist who called market bottom sees more gains ahead as 'epicenter' stocks are set to rally   TOP VIDEO DraftKings CEO: Response from customers has been strong as sports resume   CNBC PRO Bank of America upgrades Tesla, the second bearish analyst in 24 hours to capitulate   SPECIAL REPORTS Beyond the S&P 500: Traders highlight best opportunities in global markets These strategies will help you knock out your student loans before payments restart in 2021   Unsubscribe Manage Newsletters Terms of Service Join the CNBC Panel Digital Products Feedback Privacy Policy   © 2020 CNBC LLC. All rights reserved. A property of NBCUniversal. 900 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632 Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes and Market Data and Analysis. Data also provided by THOMSON REUTERS