LONGEST SINCE '96: The Dow edged higher again Wednesday, extending a streak of gains to nine days, the longest in more than sixteen years.

RETAIL IS DETAIL: Stocks started the day trading lower despite a strong retail sales report for February that suggested consumers haven't yet eased up on spending, even after a tax increase kicked in at the beginning of the year.

FACEBOOK FLIX: Netflix rose the most in the Standard & Poor's 500 index, 5.6 percent, after the company said it's adding a feature that will allow subscribers in the U.S. to automatically swap movie and TV show recommendations with their friends on Facebook.