The dollar firmed against major counterparts early Thursday, after economic reports showed February retail sales were stronger than expected. The dollar index which measures the U.S. unit against a basket of six major currencies, stood at 87.739. It earlier stood at 87.631. The dollar stood at 96.49 yen, compared with 95.65 yen, while the euro stood at $1.2817, compared with $1.2837. Retail sales slumped 0.1% in February. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch expected a 0.4% drop. Separately, the Labor Department said initial claims for unemployment benefits rose 9,000 to 654,000 in the week ended March 7.
