Summary: The Dow Jones Industrial Average notched a fresh record close for its second day in a row and the rest of the markets clinched slight gains as a rally in retail boosted Wall Street. Target pulled other retailers higher after upbeat second-quarter guidance. Walmart led the Dow to records as the world's largest retailer joined in on a sector rally. The company climbed more than 1%, its best daily performance since June 1. NRG Energy added to the previous day's gains as investors continued to applaud plans to sell assets, lower its debt, and reduce costs. Shares have rocketed nearly 40% higher since the beginning of the week. Financials were on the rise ahead of the kickoff to the earnings season. Big banks Citigroup , JPMorgan and Wells Fargo ring in the second-quarter earnings period with their performance reports out Friday morning.
