AXIOS (Neil Irwin) - The American consumer stands firm
Data: Census Bureau; Chart: Neil Irwin/Axios We don't know yet how the Iran war and the resulting surge in energy prices will ripple through the U.S. economy. We do know that American consumers were in pretty solid shape before it all began. The big picture: New retail sales and employment data out Wednesday morning point to an underlying strength in consumer demand, propped up by wages that have kept rising. - The question for the months ahead is whether the underlying trends that have kept consumers afloat — including a buoyant stock market and a low-layoff job market — can power it through an era of war-induced shocks and weak hiring. Driving the news: Retail sales rose 0.6% in February, the Census Bureau said, reversing a…