Financial Performance - Macy's surpassed Wall Street's estimates for the latest quarter [1] - Macy's increased its guidance for the remainder of the fiscal year [1] Market Trends - Consumers are still spending despite economic concerns [1]

Retail & Consumer Trends - The Thanksgiving weekend saw a record of nearly 203 million shoppers, up from 197 million last year, indicating strong consumer demand driven by promotional deals [3][4] - 54% of shoppers took advantage of early holiday sales, potentially impacting December sales due to front-loading [8] - Consumers have completed about 40% of their holiday shopping, leaving 53% of shopping for the holiday season [12] - Top purchased items include clothes, toys, and books, while gift cards are the most desired items [14] - American Eagle reported better-than-expected revenue with double-digit comparable sales increase and positive growth, raising its fourth-quarter operating income outlook [55][56] Economic Outlook & Market Analysis - The consumer is seen as sentimentally weak but fundamentally sound, with wages exceeding inflation for 30 straight months and low unemployment [16] - The US Dollar Index is being closely watched around its 50-day moving average, with potential implications for commodities, crypto, and stocks [24][27] - Bitcoin experienced a significant dip followed by a rebound, finding support around $85,000, but further washout is anticipated before a clear bullish trend [32] Charitable Giving & Tax Planning - New tax rules in 2026 will limit deductions for charitable giving to amounts exceeding 05%-1% of adjusted gross income [39] - Donor-advised funds are highlighted as a strategy to frontload giving and maximize tax deductions, especially beneficial for smaller donations [42][49] - Americans are generous, giving more than twice as much as a percentage of GDP compared to other countries [48] Technology & Software - Intel is up almost 85%, NXP up 8%, Texas Instruments up 4%, indicating the AI chip sector is still active [21][22] - GitLab's fourth-quarter sales forecast is weighing on the stock, despite adjusted earnings per share coming in at 25 cents versus estimates of 20 cents, and revenue beating analyst estimates coming in at $2444 million versus $2395 million estimated [57]

95% of Black Friday purchases were financed.Over 2/3 of the borrowing has a term of more than 30 days.Not a vote of confidence in the state of US consumers.Adam Cochran (adamscochran.eth) (@adamscochran):Breakdown of the Black Friday data tells us:-Consumer is weakening.-95% of sales volume was financed.-67% of that intends not to pay off within 30 days.-Roughly $1B was spent using BNPL models which are the worst debt.This points to a *really* unhealthy economy. ...

Cyber Monday 2025 just became the biggest online shopping day of all time in the United States as consumer spending jumped 7.1%. https://t.co/uKNUaMEqeE ...

A Procter & Gamble executive said its US sales were down “significantly” in October and probably through November, a cautionary note on American consumers’ spending heading into the holiday season. https://t.co/fw7PCLfAly ...

Market Overview - The market is showing a positive start with the Dow up 76 points, S&P up 18 points, and NASDAQ up 99 points, reversing a previous decline where the Dow dropped over 400 points [1] - The S&P 500 fell more than half a percent, indicating some investors believe a market pullback is due after months of steady gains in 2025 [1] Consumer Spending - Online spending during Black Friday reached nearly $12 billion, with Cyber Monday expected to generate at least another $17 billion, indicating strong consumer activity [2] - A total of $43 billion was spent online over the four days from Black Friday to Cyber Monday, primarily on discretionary items rather than staples [5][6] - A survey revealed that 49% of Americans believe President Trump's economic policies have increased prices, while only 24% think they have lowered them [7] Automotive Industry - The automotive sector is experiencing a decline in production, with a 15.7% decrease in the seasonally adjusted rate of automobile sales [9] - Consumers are reportedly losing patience with high car prices, leading them to consider downsizing, purchasing used vehicles, or taking out longer loans [13] - The expiration of subsidies for electric vehicles (EVs) has resulted in a significant pullback in consumer interest in EVs [14] Economic Outlook - The forecast for 2026 appears positive, despite recent fluctuations in stock prices, with companies like Pfizer and Merck experiencing notable stock movements [11] - The automotive industry is facing challenges due to increased wages and production shifts, which have contributed to higher prices [10]

All right. So, so do you agree that we're kind of in a hangover period and yesterday's action it could be part of that hangover. >> It does feel like it, you know, valuations were stretched.You know, I think one reason I I may be a little more bullish than I was a week ago is, you know, the probabilities for a December rate cut are about 95% right now. You know, they were about that going into to Pal's last press conference and then they had dip below 50. So, a little more certainty around the rate picture ...

Cyber Monday Consumers Will Spend Up To $14.2 Billion—Setting New Record, Report Sayshttps://t.co/4Wf7HoPYNp https://t.co/Y70szDbnSN ...

US shoppers were underwhelmed by Black Friday promotions, but they were still out spending https://t.co/Bczm3d0xn7 ...

Retail Sector Outlook - Retailers are hoping consumers will continue spending before Christmas despite their gloominess [1] - Analysts remain optimistic about retail spending [1]