Economic Sentiment & Spending Disparity - Almost two-thirds of Americans believe the US is heading in the wrong direction, largely due to economic concerns [1] - Corporate America reports a sound economy, with resilient consumer spending [2] - Moody's estimates that the top 10% of households drive nearly half of all spending, creating a K-shaped economy reminiscent of the 1980s [3][4] Inflation & Monetary Policy - The Federal Reserve faces challenges in managing interest rates due to the spending disparity between the top 10% and the rest of the country [5] - Inflation is expected to continue into the first quarter of 2026, potentially exacerbated by new tariffs on China, Canada, and Mexico [6] - The Federal Reserve is increasingly concerned about job losses, particularly in the manufacturing sector (car manufacturing, appliances), potentially outweighing inflation concerns [7] Political & Economic Divide - Most Americans think the economy is headed in the wrong direction, with significant partisan divisions (29% of Republicans vs 91% of Democrats) [8] - Partisanship reflects trust in specific ideologies, with non-hardcore supporters noting increased expenses in daily life, leading to shifts in shopping habits [9] - Tariffs disproportionately impact lower and middle-income brackets (under $250,000 per year) [10]

Core Insights - Uno remains the top-selling card game, experiencing growth for nine consecutive quarters, as reported by Mattel [1] - American Girl doll sales have increased for four straight quarters, while sales of Barbie and Polly Pocket have declined [2][7] Financial Performance - Mattel's quarterly sales decreased by 6% year-over-year, and net income fell by 25% due to changes in retailer order methods amid tariffs [3] - The company maintains its full-year sales growth forecast of 1% to 3%, despite third-quarter performance pressures [3][4] Market Trends - Retailers are shifting more orders to the fourth quarter, indicating a strategy to prepare for the holiday season [8] - Mattel has raised prices in response to tariffs but will not consider further increases until 2026, with current prices not negatively impacting consumer demand [5][8] Competitive Landscape - Both Mattel and Hasbro are raising prices due to tariffs, but Mattel has indicated it has reached its price increase limit for the year [5] - Fewer retailers are importing products directly, relying more on Mattel for warehousing and logistics, which provides retailers with flexibility [6]

US President Donald Trump said top executives from General Motors and Ford called to thank him for imposing tariffs on medium- and heavy-duty trucks.In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: "Mary Barra of General Motors, and Bill Ford of Ford Motor Company, just called to thank me for putting Tariffs on Mid Size and Large Size Trucks. Their Stock has gone through the roof! They told me that, without Tariffs, it would be a very hard, long “slog” for Truck and Car Manufacturers in the United States."Tariffs fr ...

Group 1 - Best Buy (BBY) stock is currently near a buy zone as tensions with China show signs of easing [1] - The retail giant has made efforts to reduce reliance on Chinese imports but remains sensitive to tariff policy changes [1] - If the Trump administration acts quickly on tariffs, Best Buy could benefit significantly [1] Group 2 - Meta Platforms has launched its third generation of smart glasses, with Apple and Google also preparing to enter the market [2] - Retailers are experiencing uncertainty due to Amazon and other retail earnings, with concerns about tariffs affecting summer spending [4] - Best Buy delivered a mixed Q1 report and cut its outlook due to the impact of Trump tariffs [4]

President Donald Trump said the chief executives of General Motors Co and Ford Motor Co called to thank him on Wednesday for putting tariffs on mid- and large-sized trucks, saying their companies stock has soared. ...

Let's stick with earning shares of. It's now taking a hit as retailers delay orders over tariff uncertainty impacts and the current. Joins us now for more.And there we're starting to see it might not be a big stock market issue but a company turning around is saying some retailers are holding back, waiting for clarity. How much of an economic issue might that be. Well, it's a big question, a big missing piece of the jigsaw.When will these tariffs start to flow through to more broadly goods on the shelf. Jon ...

WEG, a Brazilian maker of industrial machinery, expects to offset the impact of US tariffs by the first half of 2026, following a bigger hit than anticipated for the final quarter of this year https://t.co/aohR3m1ysB ...

It was incredibly aggressive. It was totally disproportional to anything that uh the US, the EU or Canada or anybody did because remember these are global measures that the Chinese have put in place to purport to control the movement or export of any item containing certain rare earth from one country to another, right. Even if China is not uh you know one of the parties uh in the agreement.So in Geneva we had an agreement where they would limit their rare earth export controls. they'd keep their retaliator ...

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the nation was on the verge of wrapping up a trade deal with the US after President Donald Trump slapped hefty tariffs on its exports to the world’s largest market https://t.co/DiGUJQeleT ...

US-China Trade Relations - The possibility of a meeting between President Trump and President Xi remains uncertain, pending mutual agreement [1][2] - The US expresses willingness to engage in trade talks with China, especially given China's recent measures [2] - The US believes a more balanced trade relationship is needed, as China currently enjoys broader access to the US market than the US has to the Chinese market [10][11] - The US is open to a constructive trading relationship with China, but it must be actively managed [10] Rare Earths and Export Controls - China has implemented new measures on rare earths, raising concerns for the US [3] - China's actions regarding rare earth export controls are viewed as aggressive and disproportionate by the US [4][5] - The US accuses China of expanding controls on rare earths globally, despite a previous agreement to limit them [7] - China's restrictions on rare earths are seen as an attempt to exert economic control [7] - The US has concerns about China potentially using access to semiconductors to gain access to rare earth minerals [14] - The US uses export controls on high-end goods, but China's controls on basic inputs like rare earths are considered broad and indiscriminate [15][16] National Security and Technology - The US prioritizes national security when considering technology exports to China [19] - The US aims to maintain its technological edge and prevent other countries from gaining a competitive advantage [20] - The US government uses inter-agency processes to analyze new technologies and determine appropriate export controls, considering industry input and foreign availability [21]