Economic Overview - Inflation is showing signs of cooling, with the personal consumption expenditure (PCE) index rising only 0.1% month-over-month in April and 2.1% year-over-year, down from 2.3% in March [4][5] - Core PCE, excluding food and energy, also rose 0.1% month-over-month and 2.5% year-over-year, marking the smallest advance since March 2021 [5] - Consumer spending increased by 0.2% month-over-month, while personal income rose by 0.8% in April, indicating economic resilience [5][11] Trade and Tariffs - President Trump's tariffs announced in early April have been put on hold as trade negotiations are ongoing, alleviating concerns about inflation and recession [2][6] - The temporary pause in tariffs and the initiation of trade talks, including a deal with the UK, have boosted market optimism [7] Consumer Discretionary Stocks - Positive sentiment in the economy suggests investing in consumer discretionary stocks is prudent [2][8] - Selected stocks include: - Interface, Inc. (TILE): Expected earnings growth rate of 8.2%, with a Zacks Consensus Estimate improvement of 2.6% over the past 60 days [9] - Kontoor Brands, Inc. (KTB): Expected earnings growth rate of 9.6%, with a Zacks Consensus Estimate improvement of 2.9% over the past 60 days [12] - GDEV Inc. (GDEV): Expected earnings growth rate of 58%, with a Zacks Consensus Estimate improvement of 21.8% over the past 60 days [13] - Netflix, Inc. (NFLX): Expected earnings growth rate of 27.7%, with a Zacks Consensus Estimate improvement of 3% over the past 60 days [15]
4 Discretionary Stocks to Buy as Inflation Continues to Cool