Tuesday's retail sales report serves as one of the final economic data points as the Federal Reserve mulls how much it will cut interest rates on Wednesday.

Wall Street's main indexes rose on Tuesday, with the benchmark S&P 500 close to its intraday record high, as investors awaited a crucial Federal Reserve policy decision and fresh economic data allayed worries of a sharp slowdown in the U.

Strong retail sales suggest that the Fed does not necessarily have to hurry with larger cuts, as the consumer economy appears intact for now. "Retail sales growth has been a littl