Message : Required fields Shares of retailers and other consumer companies rose amid expectations that most U.S. consumers will soon receive $600 checks, thanks to the passage of the second stimulus bill. While some observers, including President Donald Trump, argue that the payments are not enough to cushion the financial pain of the pandemic, economists say the $900 billion stimulus bill could bolster the economy during the rollout of Covid vaccines. All indications are that traffic in bricks-and-mortar retail stores was down dramatically from a year earlier because of the pandemic, but one brokerage said the last week of holiday shopping saw an up-tick from earlier in the month.