-- Soaring Vet Prices Are Forcing Pet Owners To Skip Visits [Stocks Surge for 2nd Day Amid Tech Rally] [Nvidia Earnings Blow Past Expectations][Key Takeaways from Trump's State of the Union][Who Wins And Loses In The Latest Tariff Tumult?]- Top StoriesPricey vet visits are declining as household budgets get squeezed.Investopedia / Elizabeth GueavaraClose### Key Takeaways- The consolidation of vet clinics under corporate ownership is behind the trend according to analysts at Bank of America.- Industry revenu ...

The London Company, an investment management company, released its fourth-quarter 2025 investor letter for its “The London Company Mid Cap Strategy”. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. In Q4 2025, US equities posted the third consecutive quarter of higher returns, with the Russell 3000 Index rising 2.4%. The market highlighted how investors balanced the optimism on earnings growth and concerns regarding AI returns and cooling macroeconomic factors. In the quarter, the portfolio returned 3.2% (3.0% ...

Job security has long been treated as the cornerstone of financial stability, yet new data suggest that security without mobility can narrow economic choices rather than expand them.By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions .Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional ...

Wall Street sentiment toward General Mills Inc. (NYSE:GIS) is becoming cautious. A leading analyst has downgraded the stock, reduced his price target and extended the expected recovery timeline. Several others share this outlook. • What are GIS shares doing today?Below is an overview of the factors behind this shift and its implications for investors.BofA Downgrade DetailsBofA Securities analyst Peter T. Galbo downgraded General Mills to Neutral from Buy and lowered his price forecast to $48 from $55, cit ...

There is rarely a clear-cut start and end date to a recession. By the time people realize they are in a recession, it's usually been going on for several months. That's because much of the economic data that investors and consumers rely on is released with a lag. There are often revisions to this data, which can indicate that the economy might have been performing much better or worse than everyone initially believed. While the U.S. does not currently appear to be in a recession, recent data suggests tha ...

Core Insights - Consumer spending is shifting towards services as spending on goods softens, indicating a deliberate spending posture and a slower pace of overall growth in the U.S. economy [1][5] Economic Indicators - Personal income rose by 0.3% month over month in December, while personal consumption expenditures increased by 0.4%. Disposable income growth matched November's 0.3% gain, but wages and salaries only expanded by 0.2%, the slowest increase since June [3][4] - Real GDP grew at an annualized rate of 1.4% in the fourth quarter of 2025, down from 4.4% in the third quarter, marking the slowest year-end growth since 2018. For the full year, GDP increased by 2.2% [8][12] Consumer Behavior - Spending on goods declined by 0.1% in December, the first drop in six months, while services expenditures rose by 0.7%. Durable goods were the weakest category, falling by 0.3% [4] - Households are reallocating their spending towards services such as housing, healthcare, travel, and dining, while discretionary goods purchases are showing signs of constraint [5] Labor Market Insights - The Labor Economy workers, earning $25 per hour or less, represent over one-third of U.S. employees and account for 15.1% of total U.S. spending, equivalent to more than $1.7 trillion annually [6] - Only 29.4% of Labor Economy workers expect their financial situation to improve by 2026, while nearly half anticipate unchanged pay and rising monthly expenses [7] Consumer Sentiment - Consumer sentiment improved slightly in February, with the University of Michigan's final sentiment index rising by 0.4% from January. However, the February reading remains 12.5% below its year-ago level [13][14] - Nearly 46% of consumers cited high prices as a strain on personal finances, although inflation expectations eased modestly [14] Credit and Spending Behavior - Credit usage, particularly Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) options, remains a structural component of household cash-flow management, especially among younger consumers [15][16] - In December, 25% of bridge millennials used BNPL, a 56% increase from November, indicating that BNPL is becoming a recurring budget infrastructure for specific cohorts [16]

Core Viewpoint - Policy decisions have led to a bull market, benefiting asset holders and increasing consumer spending, but market cycles remain in effect [1] Group 1 - The bull market has been fueled by specific policy decisions [1] - Asset holders have seen significant enrichment due to the current market conditions [1] - Increased consumer spending is a direct result of the wealth effect from the bull market [1] Group 2 - Despite the current favorable conditions, market cycles have not been permanently altered [1]

The U.S. reported that core PCE rose 3.0% year over year and 0.4% month over month in December 2025, while headline PCE increased 2.9% year over year. Personal income and consumer spending grew 0.3% and 0.4% month over month, respectively. ...

Core Insights - New Walmart CEO John Furner presented a cautious outlook during his first earnings call, despite reporting better-than-expected same-store sales growth of 4.6% in the latest quarter [2] - Walmart's revenue for the fourth quarter rose 5.6% year over year to $190.7 billion, indicating a strong earnings performance [3] - The company is experiencing significant growth in its e-commerce sector, with US online sales increasing by 27%, marking the 15th consecutive quarter of double-digit growth [3] Financial Performance - Walmart's revenue for the fourth quarter reached $190.7 billion, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 5.6% [3] - The company reported a same-store sales increase of 4.6% for the latest quarter, surpassing expectations [2] - Walmart's stock fell by 1.4% following the earnings call, attributed to conservative guidance for fiscal 2027, which projected sales growth of 3.5% to 4.5% [4] Consumer Trends - The majority of sales gains were attributed to households earning over $100,000, indicating a trend of affluent consumers seeking value at discount retailers amid inflation [4] - Consumer uncertainty and economic factors such as elevated student loan delinquencies and a "hiring recession" were highlighted as reasons for caution in the company's outlook [4] Strategic Initiatives - Walmart is focusing on expanding its e-commerce presence, with initiatives like a partnership with OpenAI to facilitate purchases through ChatGPT [3] - The company plans to allocate $30 billion towards stock buybacks, reflecting confidence in its market position [4] - Analysts suggest that Walmart's conservative guidance is a strategy to set a "beatable bar," encouraging investors to view any weakness as a buying opportunity [4]

Walmart, a bellwether of consumer spending, cited a “hiring recession” and pressures on shoppers as it forecast less growth in earnings this year than Wall Street was expecting. https://t.co/2xZAflPbwt ...