A barrage of positive U.S. economic reports is going to get the trading day off to a positive start. Wall Street futures are up on the news.

First among the reports is the Commerce Department’s latest numbers on retail sales, which rebounded in November, climbing more than expected on the strength of higher demand for autos and electronics. Retail sales advanced by 0.9% last month.

A report from the Labor Department indicates that prices of imported good rose in November amid the largest surge in consumer and capital goods prices in three-and-a-half years. This dispels the risk of deflation, say economists.

Overall import prices grew at the fastest pace in four months, rising 0.4%, says the Labor Department. The jump was led by a surge in prices in consumer items and capital equipment, which rose 0.3%. Petroleum prices rose 1.1%.

In a separate release, the Labor Department says that the number of U.S. workers filing first-time applications for unemployment benefits rose to a six-week high last week. But this reflects the normal fluctuation after thanksgiving, says Labor, though, economists had expected a decline of 5,000. Initial jobless claims increased for a second week in a row, climbing by 13,000 to 378,000.

Here at home, Statistics Canada, says new motor vehicle sales fell 2.3% in October, the third decline in as many months. The number of new motor vehicles sold in November is estimated to have declined another 2%, says Statscan, with the entire decline attributable to poor truck sales. Dealers sold 136,193 new motor vehicles in October. In September and August, sales had fallen 2.4% and 1.7%, respectively.

At noon ET, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago will release its October Midwest Manufacturing Index. At 14:00 ET the Federal Open Market Committee will release the minutes of its November meeting.

Meanwhile, in Europe at midday the German DAX index is up 0.71% to 3,848.17 points. France’s CAC is up 0.47% at 3,452.31, while Britain’s FTSE is down slightly, 0.34% to 4.320.7

In Japan, Nikkei Stock Average rose 164.58 points, or 1.7%, to 10075.14. In Hong Kong, shares closed at a 29-month high. The Hang Seng Index ended up 156.20 points, or 1.3%, at 12544.58, its highest close since July 16, 2001.