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Consumer
The Fed Takes a Hawkish Turn, Thanks to the U.S. Consumer

The Fed Takes a Hawkish Turn, Thanks to the U.S. Consumer

The Federal Reserve took a hawkish turn yesterday, thanks to an improving U.S. consumer. "Household spending has been rising at a strong pace," the central bank declared in its policy statement yesterday. It then proceeded to raise its 2019 growth forecast to 2.2...

Consumer Keeps Looking Stronger as Other Parts of the Economy Soften

Consumer Keeps Looking Stronger as Other Parts of the Economy Soften

The U.S. consumer keeps roaring ahead, even as investors worry about President Trump's trade war against China. Consumer spending rose 4.7 percent between April and June, according to the Commerce Department's gross domestic product (GDP). That was not only a big...

Trade War Escalates as China and Trump Exchange Blows

Trade War Escalates as China and Trump Exchange Blows

So much for a quiet Friday in August. The drama started early today when China slapped tariffs on $75 billion of U.S. goods. S&P 500 futures (@ES) fell 25 points. About 2-1/2 hours later President Donald Trump hinted in a tweet that he viewed Chinese leader Xi...

Retailers Rebound as Earnings Season Ends on a Strong Note

Retailers Rebound as Earnings Season Ends on a Strong Note

Retail stocks rebounded from a selloff last week as investors shrugged off tariff fears and looked for strong earnings into the holidays. Target (TGT), Home Depot (HD), Lowe's (LOW) and Nordstrom (JWN) are among the market's biggest gainers in the last week. Some had...

Retailers Crash as Unsold Merchandise Piles Up: Earnings This Week

Retailers Crash as Unsold Merchandise Piles Up: Earnings This Week

Retail earnings are off to a bearish start as unsold merchandise piles up and shopping centers go quiet. Macy's (M) started things on a bearish foot yesterday. Not only did profit, revenue and guidance miss estimates. The tone of its release was also dismal: "Rising...

Grains Crash with Corn Glut Expected to Worsen

Grains Crash with Corn Glut Expected to Worsen

Grains are crashing on signs of a worsening commodity glut. CBOT Corn Futures (@C) dropped more than 6 percent halfway through Monday's session. The last time it fell that much was April 1, 2013, according to TradeStation's historical data. Wheat (@W) is down a...

Apple Surges as Chips Falter: Earnings This Week

Apple Surges as Chips Falter: Earnings This Week

Investors face a mixed bag of results as we push through the busiest week of earnings season. Here are some key takeaways we'll explore in more detail below: Technology giant Apple (AAPL) is evolving past the iPhone.Reality catches up with chip stocks.Some newer tech...

Big Names Struggle But New Leaders Keep Popping Up: Earnings This Week

Big Names Struggle But New Leaders Keep Popping Up: Earnings This Week

Prominent stocks have struggled after announcing results, but some new leaders may be stepping up. Tesla (TSLA) and Boeing (BA) got slammed after missing estimates. Facebook (FB) surpassed consensus, only to drift aimlessly. Meanwhile, less-followed companies like...

Podcast: The U.S. Consumer Is Getting Stronger

Podcast: The U.S. Consumer Is Getting Stronger

This podcast reviews how strong consumer data may reduce dangers of a looming U.S. recession. It also breaks down how the industry is undergoing historic change as demographics change and e-commerce spreads. TRANSCRIPT: June's retail sales report was better than...