U.S. stocks follow Microsoft, retailers higher

weaker-than-forecast jobless claims and first-quarter economic growth. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DOW:DJIA) Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) Merck & Co. (NYSE:MRK) The Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ:COMP) Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE:HPQ) The S&P 500...