Stock Market News·2025-12-05 20:38Consumer Credit - U.S. consumer credit increased by $9.18 billion in October 2025, significantly missing analyst expectations of $11.80 billion and falling from September's $13.09 billion, indicating a potential cooling in consumer borrowing [2][7] - Total U.S. consumer debt reached $18.09 trillion as of October 2025, marking a 2.9% increase year-over-year [3][7] - Outstanding bankcard balances climbed to $1.08 trillion, an increase of 3.7% year-over-year, while auto loans and leases saw a 1.3% rise to $1.685 trillion [3] Regulatory Scrutiny on Tech Giants - Republican Attorneys General launched a probe in May 2025 into Apple (AAPL) and Google (GOOGL) over their handling of Chinese-owned applications like TikTok and Deep Seek, citing data privacy concerns and potential violations of state consumer protection laws [4][7]