The nation’s economy appears to be on the mend, with reports on Friday showing both a jump in retail sales and a continuing expansion of industrial activity.

The figures stood in sharp contrast to fragile conditions in financial markets, which were selling off heavily around the world as panicky investors returned to worrying about Europe’s debts.

The turbulence had yet to affect U.S. economic activity though, with sales at retailers nationwide climbing 0.4 percent in April, double the median forecast in a Reuters poll of economists and the seventh straight monthly gain.

Industrial production also forged ahead more strongly than expected in April. The 0.8 percent rise offered further evidence that parts of the economy are humming along despite persistently high unemployment.

"It looks like a very solid recovery," said Bob Mellman, senior economist at JP Morgan in New York.

Still, some were worrying that, with Europe, and Greece in particular, mired in turmoil, and the U.S. jobless rate still at 9.9 percent the strides might not be sustained.

"The key determinant of consumer spending growth going forward will be the pace of the recovery in the labor market and hence the path of wage and salary income," said Joshua Shapiro, chief U.S. economist at MFR in New York.

There were pockets of weakness in the retail sales report.

Sales outside of autos, gasoline and building materials, which factor directly in official growth calculations, retreated 0.2 percent.

Building materials and garden equipment receipts also may have overstated gains, climbing 6.9 percent, possibly in anticipation of the end of the government’s mortgage tax credit.

Markets largely ignored the data and followed Europe’s lead lower. The S&P 500 was down 1.2 percent shortly after the open.