Core Viewpoint - Sales at U.S. retailers declined at the end of the holiday shopping season, indicating that consumers may be reducing spending due to economic concerns as the new year begins [1] Group 1: Retail Sales Performance - Retail sales in the U.S. showed a slowdown at the conclusion of the holiday shopping period [1] - The decline in sales suggests a potential shift in consumer behavior, with worries about the economy influencing spending habits [1]

Core Viewpoint - Coca-Cola's Q4 revenue fell short of analysts' expectations, leading to a decline in stock price despite a modest earnings beat and signs of stabilizing demand in key markets [1] Financial Performance - Adjusted earnings for Q4 were reported at 58 cents per share, exceeding Wall Street estimates of 56 cents [1] - Net revenue increased by 2% year-over-year to $11.8 billion, missing the consensus forecast of $12.05 billion [1] - Coca-Cola's stock dropped nearly 4% in premarket trading following the earnings report [1] Pricing and Demand Dynamics - The company raised prices by 4% in North America and 1% globally during the quarter, which helped boost revenue despite mixed volume trends [1] - Unit case volume rose by 1%, driven by growth in Brazil, the United States, and Japan, although this was partially offset by an unfavorable product mix [1] - Coca-Cola Zero Sugar saw a notable sales increase of 13% during the October-December period [1] Consumer Behavior - Consumers are exhibiting caution and selective spending, impacting overall volume growth, which remained unchanged from the previous year [1] - Coca-Cola has introduced smaller packaging and more affordable options to cater to price-sensitive consumers [1] - Premium brands like Smartwater and Fairlife continue to attract consumers willing to pay more, highlighting a divide between value-driven and premium demand [1] Future Outlook - Coca-Cola forecasts organic revenue growth of 4% to 5% and comparable earnings growth of 7% to 8% for 2026, indicating confidence in navigating a challenging consumer environment [1] - The company expects core earnings per share to grow by 7% to 8% in 2026 from approximately $3 in 2025, with FactSet estimates suggesting growth of around 7.3% [1] - Coca-Cola's stock had previously risen 20.8% over the past 12 months, outperforming competitors like PepsiCo and the S&P 500 [1] Leadership Transition - Coca-Cola is preparing for a leadership transition, with Henrique Braun set to take over as CEO on March 31, while current CEO James Quincey will become executive chairman [1]

US retail sales unexpectedly stalled in December, suggesting more tempered consumer spending as the year drew to a close. https://t.co/c4FQXLPSCe ...

Market Overview - U.S. stock futures are showing a mixed picture as investors digest the previous day's rally and prepare for significant economic data and corporate earnings [1] - Major indexes closed higher on Monday, but premarket trading indicates a cautious start to the session [1] Premarket Trading and Index Futures - S&P 500 (SPX) futures are slightly higher, up approximately 0.1% to 0.12% [2] - Nasdaq 100 (NDX) futures are showing a slight dip of around 0.05% [2] - Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) futures are also flat, with a modest gain of about 0.02% to 0.13% [2] Recent Market Performance - On Monday, DJIA closed at a new all-time high of 50,219, up 0.04% [3] - S&P 500 gained approximately 0.5%, closing at 6,964.82 [3] - Nasdaq Composite rose 0.9% to 23,238.67, driven by a rebound in tech stocks [3] Key Upcoming Market Events - Retail Sales report for December is expected to show a rise of 0.4% month-on-month, providing insights into consumer demand [4] - The rescheduled January Jobs Report is anticipated to influence Federal Reserve policy expectations [5] - Consumer Price Index (CPI) and inflation readings will be released later in the week, impacting monetary policy decisions [5] Major Stock News and Corporate Announcements - Coca-Cola (KO) is expected to report an EPS of $0.56, a 1.82% year-over-year increase [6] - S&P Global Inc. (SPGI) is anticipated to show a 14.59% increase in EPS to $4.32 [6] - Spotify Technology S.A. (SPOT) is projected to see a significant 56.91% jump in EPS to $2.95 [6] - Fiserv, Inc. (FISV) is expected to report a 24.30% decrease in EPS to $1.90 [6] - CVS Health (CVS) is estimated to see a 16.81% decrease in EPS to $1.68 [6] Other Corporate News - ZoomInfo Technologies (ZI) saw a decline of over 10% in premarket trading despite surpassing market expectations [7] - Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (GT) reported flat net sales but a 9% organic increase in segment operating income [8] - Tech giants like Nvidia (NVDA) and Broadcom (AVGO) experienced gains of 2.4-3.4% [9] - Oracle (ORCL) surged 9.6% following an analyst upgrade related to AI demand [10] - Workday (WDAY) shares fell 5.1% after CEO resignation, while Kroger (KR) shares rose 3.9% after announcing a new CEO [11]

Record income tax refunds are going to hit consumer bank accounts soon.Don't blink or you will miss consumer spending accelerating https://t.co/2HvgTSRk3b ...

A decade ago just 9% of expenditure on toys in Europe’s five biggest markets was for over-18s. By last year that share had more than doubled https://t.co/0ipQ1g3BBC ...

Hello and welcome to Asking for a Trend. I'm Jared Blickery and for the next half hour, we're breaking down the trends of today that'll move stocks tomorrow. There's a lot to keep track of, so we're focusing on what you need to know to get ahead of the curve.Here are some of the trends we're going to be diving into. It was a wild week for markets. From a major route driven by tech to the Dow closing above 50,000 for the first time ever.We're digging into the trading action and Roblox shares rallying off the ...

Chinese consumer stocks are winning favor with investors just as their high-flying tech peers lose ground amid a global rout, with expectations growing that the former will benefit from increased spending during the upcoming Lunar New Year break https://t.co/8Ff8mQ5tqg ...

Hello and welcome to Asking for a Trend. I'm Josh Lipton and for the next half hour, we are breaking down the trends of today that'll move stocks tomorrow. There's a lot to keep track of, so we're focusing on what you need to know to get ahead of the curve.Here are some of the trends we're going to be diving into. The Trump administration is looking to take on China when it comes to critical minerals. We've got the details on the new partnership that was announced Wednesday.And another commodity we're watch ...

Summary of the U.S. Consumer Pulse Survey: AI Use in the Spotlight Industry Overview - **Industry**: U.S. Consumer Behavior and AI Adoption - **Survey Period**: January 22nd - January 26th, 2026 - **Sample Size**: Approximately 2,000 consumers in the U.S. Key Findings on AI Usage - **AI Adoption**: - 75% of respondents use AI for personal reasons at least rarely, while 72% use it for work-related activities [5][6] - Over half of the respondents use AI at least monthly for both personal and professional purposes [6] - 38% use AI to learn about new topics for personal purposes, and 64% for writing, editing, or summarizing text at work [5][14] - **Demographic Insights**: - Younger consumers (ages 25-34) are the most frequent users of AI, with 28% using it daily for personal purposes and 28% for work [9][10] - 41% of respondents aged 55 and older report never using AI for personal purposes [9] Consumer Spending Outlook - **Post-Holiday Spending**: - 29% of consumers expect to spend more next month, while 17% expect to spend less, resulting in a net spending outlook of +12%, down from +22% in November [5][30] - Expected spending on toys is projected to drop by 18%, and apparel by 7% [5][30] - **Inflation Concerns**: - 53% of consumers are concerned about rising prices, a decrease from 57% in the previous survey [31][30] - Inflation remains the top concern for low and middle-income respondents, while higher-income respondents are more concerned about the political environment [31][36] Consumer Confidence and Economic Outlook - **Economic Sentiment**: - 36% of consumers expect the economy to improve in the next six months, while 42% expect it to worsen, yielding a net score of -6% [30][55] - The outlook for household finances has improved, with a net score of +22%, up from +12% in the previous wave [30][58] Travel Intentions - **Travel Plans**: - 60% of consumers plan to travel in the next six months, an increase from 58% in the previous wave [30][95] - Visiting friends and family is the most common reason for travel, cited by 65% of travelers [30][95] Additional Insights - **Consumer Engagement**: - Participation in out-of-home activities remains consistent, with 67% dining out, although the net engagement outlook is trending negative at -9% [86] - Online shopping remains prevalent, with 64% purchasing non-grocery items online [91] Conclusion The survey indicates a significant adoption of AI among U.S. consumers, with notable differences in usage patterns across demographics. Consumer spending outlook shows a seasonal decline post-holidays, with inflation concerns still prevalent. Economic sentiment is cautiously optimistic, particularly regarding household finances and travel intentions.