Stock Market Update

[BRIEFING.COM] The major averages maintain their earlier gains as the market enters the final half hour of the session. 

Dillard's (DDS 607.80, -55.83, -8.41%) and other department store stocks like Kohl's (KSS 21.73, -1.47, -6.34%) and Macy's (M 22.98, -0.85, -3.57%) are notably weak today, presumably due to mixed "Super Saturday" shopping data. 

"Super Saturday", the last Saturday before Christmas day, is one of the biggest shopping days of the year, rivaling Black Friday in terms of foot traffic. According to data compiled by the National Retail Federation, shopper count likely reached a new Super Saturday record at approximately 158.9 million, which includes both in-store and online shopping. However, actual foot traffic at stores was reportedly slightly lower on a year-over-year basis, indicating that consumers remained cautious, turning to online deals, or waiting for better deals to arrive before making purchases.