Retail and crypto trading risks, higher income consumers spending more

Market Trends & Risks - Retail investors have been cautiously optimistic, keeping "one foot out the door" due to geopolitical headlines, a weakening consumer, and concerns about the labor market [4][5] - The market is waiting for signs of real earnings or revenue from AI infrastructure spending to justify current valuations [7][8] - There's optimism around energy independence and infrastructure, with focus on underdeveloped industries beyond oil, gas, and solar [19][20] - Central banks globally are leaning towards stimulating growth, potentially at the risk of inflation, leading to interest in gold, precious metals, and crypto as hedges [12][13] Earnings Season Outlook - The market is looking for earnings growth to broaden beyond the MAG 7 tech giants, with financials, industrials, and healthcare sectors showing promise [14][15] - Key themes to watch include the sustainability of AI-related spending and the broadening of earnings growth beyond the tech sector [7][14] Retail Investor Focus - Retail investors are interested in core portfolio stocks like Nvidia, Palantir, and Robinhood, as well as more speculative names in nuclear energy, rare earth metals, and lithium battery plays [17] - The Stock Twits community is broadly optimistic heading into year-end, focusing on themes unaffected by geopolitical issues with China [10][11] Consumer Spending & Economic Indicators - There's a divergence in consumer spending, with higher-income households showing 2.6% year-over-year card spending growth, while lower-income households are at just 0.6% [40] - High-income wage growth is at 4% year-over-year, while lower-income wage growth is at 1.4%, contributing to the spending divergence [41] - Bank of America's data indicates a softening in the labor market, with a 0.5% year-over-year increase in accounts receiving paychecks [47] - Tariffs are having a modest and gradual impact on durable goods, with transaction numbers weaker than dollar values, indicating a price effect [48][49] Cryptocurrency Market - Bitcoin's key level to watch is $108,000-$109,000 to maintain momentum [37] - While crypto is seen as a hedge against fiat currency debasement, it still trades like a risk asset, as evidenced by the sell-off [21]