Equities Roundup: Google, Retail Stocks Continue to Counter Bearish Sentiments

Major U.S. Stock Indices

DJIA: 11,574.93 (+0.84 percent)
S&P 500: 1,215.78 (+1.01 percent)
NASDAQ: 2,643.55 (+0.89 percent)
Russell 2000: 702.27 (+0.49 percent)

In other news:

• Consumers may be spending more, but they sure aren’t happy about. The U.S. Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index fell to the lowest levels since the 1980s. [BusinessWeek]
• Have investors finally grown tired of the knee-jerk reactions to every announcement regarding the European debt crisis? [CNBC]
• S&P cut Spain’s credit rating from AA to AA- as high unemployment and high debt mixed with the slowdown of Europe’s more troubled economies has increased risk. [Reuters]
• Troubled states like California and Rhode Island are taking steps to instill confidence in municipal bond investors. [Marketwatch]
• From novelty smartphone app to international media empire: Can Angry Birds really become as big as Disney’s (DIS) Mickey Mouse or Nintendo’s (NTDOY) Mario? [Fortune]