dig right into the market reaction. We're joined now by Meera Pandit, global market strategist with JP Morgan Asset Management. Um, so the markets, you know, digesting the consumer sentiment number somewhat in stride, kind of more of the same uh that we've seen for much of this year.Um, from a sentiment standpoint, we've gotten some pretty decent AI indicators over the last few days with the Micron earnings. Uh there's news that OpenAI could be raising at a significantly high valuation of $830 billion. At l ...

With less than two weeks until Christmas, the retail calendar is effectively at its peak. ...

Meanwhile, Wall Street is bracing for a quarterly event known as “triple-witching,” during which derivatives contracts linked to equities, index options, and futures expire, prompting traders collectively to either roll over their current positions or initiate new ones. According to Bloomberg, a record $7.1 trillion in notional open interest is set to roll off today as contracts expire across the U.S. options market.U.S. rate futures have priced in a 75.6% probability of no rate change and a 24.4% chance of ...

12月19日，伴随着激昂的鼓点与欢腾的人群，以"潮玩新都·嗨购香城"为主题的2026年成都市新都区新春欢乐购活动在龙湖锦宸天街启幕。 活动汇集了汽车、房产、零售、餐饮、家居、非遗文创等众多领域的主力商家，共同推出了一系列大力度的优惠举措。从购房购车大额补贴、家电家居以旧 换新，到餐饮住宿折扣套餐、商圈消费满减抵扣，各类"真金白银"的福利覆盖生活全场景，旨在直接让利消费者，激发市场购买热情。龙湖锦宸天街同步启 动"天街欢乐季"，加入全区促消费统一行动。 12月20日，活动还将特邀蜀香、棕编、板鸭非遗传承人现场互动，让观众近距离观摩精湛技艺，体验制香、棕编等传统手工艺。 ▲活动现场 ▲活动现场 启动仪式现场，以"民俗+时尚"为核心，打造沉浸式文化消费体验。火爆全网的非遗"中华战舞"潮汕英歌舞空降现场，以雄浑舞姿展现非遗魅力；精心打造 的"村糖大集"汇聚赖汤圆等本土老字号及特色农产品，可以一站式品尝"香城味道"。 借助张靓颖凤凰山跨年演唱会的热度，专场设立"潮乐共鸣"主题舞台，邀请本地音乐人演绎流行金曲，并融合街舞快闪、文旅地标KT板互动等元素。现场 更安排家庭才艺汇演、巨型新年蛋糕分享、暖心羊肉汤派送、人气IP人 ...

Consumer Spending and Market Dynamics - The recent consumer spending data indicates a potential beginning of a Santa Claus rally, with the Dow advancing 66 points and the NASDAQ surging 1.38% [2] - Consumer spending, which constitutes two-thirds of the economy, has shown signs of improvement, particularly as inflation rates decline [4][8] - Retail performance has been mixed, with Walmart performing well due to its strategy of keeping prices low, while other retailers like Nike are struggling [3][11] Inflation Trends - The core Consumer Price Index (CPI) has fallen to a four-year low, suggesting that inflation may have peaked and is starting to decline positively [8][9] - Various costs, including gasoline and used car prices, are decreasing, which could enhance consumer spending power [9][10] - Home prices are also reportedly coming down, with some average selling prices now below 2019 levels [10] Technology Sector Insights - The technology sector has faced skepticism regarding unlimited data spending, particularly with Oracle raising $18 billion for data center buildouts [5][6] - OpenAI is attempting to raise $100 billion at an increased valuation of $830 billion, which could support aggressive data center expansion and positively impact stocks like Nvidia and Broadcom [6][7] - The market has shown a broadening rally beyond tech, with significant gains in financials and autos, indicating a shift in investor sentiment [16][22] Retail Sector Performance - Retail stocks have seen positive movements, with companies like Darden, Texas Roadhouse, and Target reporting gains [12] - Amazon's e-commerce platform remains a significant contributor to its overall performance, despite the focus on Amazon Web Services [13] - The overall retail sector is poised for growth, coinciding with the holiday season and improving consumer sentiment [16]

Group 1 - The consumer sector is showing signs of recovery, contributing to a potential Santa Claus rally in the market, particularly benefiting the Dow and NASDAQ indices [1] - Throughout the year, consumer sentiment has been negative due to high unemployment and inflation, which has kept consumers from spending [2] - Despite the consumer's struggles, the technology sector, led by companies like Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Tesla, and Alphabet, has masked the weakness in consumer spending, driving market performance [3] Group 2 - Oracle has raised $18 billion in the bond market, but there are growing concerns about its ability to finance a massive data center buildout, primarily for OpenAI [4] - The market is showing increased activity in credit default swaps on Oracle's debt, indicating rising skepticism about its financial stability [5]

Market Overview - The S&P 500 ended a four-day losing streak, rising by 0.79%, while the Nasdaq Composite increased by 1.38% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 0.14% [2] - The market reacted positively to lighter-than-expected inflation data from November's consumer price index, which had been delayed due to a government shutdown [2] Consumer Sector Performance - The consumer sector, which had faced pressure throughout the year due to concerns over the economy and spending, showed signs of recovery, driven by gains in consumer-oriented companies [3][4] - Notable winners in the consumer sector included Darden Restaurants, Texas Roadhouse, Williams-Sonoma, Target, and Kohl's, contributing to what may be the start of a "Santa Claus rally" [4] Technology Sector Concerns - Despite gains in the consumer sector, there are concerns regarding the sustainability of tech companies' massive investments in artificial intelligence, which have drawn scrutiny [1][3] - The tech sector's performance has been mixed, with significant spending on AI leading to questions about the viability of these investments [1][3] Federal Reserve and Economic Outlook - The Federal Reserve's decision to cut interest rates is seen as justified, with expectations that lower rates will encourage consumer spending [5] - There is an anticipation of further cost reductions, providing the Fed with more room to ease rates in the coming year [5] - The trend of lower prices is expected to continue, with gasoline prices likely to remain stable due to an oil glut, which could increase disposable income for consumers [6]

As we move into the final days of 2025, we have had another banner year for local stocks, with the Straits Times Index (SGX: ^STI) up roughly 20.8% year-to-date (YTD). With optimism surrounding earnings and the historical trend of window dressing, where funds look to add stocks that have done well for the year to show investors, they have made the right picks. Hence, we might be due for a year-end rally in stocks. Let’s shine the spotlight on three Singapore blue chips that could benefit. DFI Retail Group H ...

Market Overview - A-shares showed significant divergence with the Shanghai Composite Index rising by 0.16% to 3876.37 points, while the Shenzhen Component Index fell by 1.29% and the ChiNext Index dropped by 2.17% [1] - Total trading volume in the Shanghai and Shenzhen markets reached 16,770 billion, a decrease of 1,575 billion from the previous day [1] Banking Sector - The banking sector experienced a collective rebound, with major banks like Shanghai Bank and Chongqing Rural Commercial Bank rising over 3%, and others like Agricultural Bank and Industrial and Commercial Bank increasing by more than 2% [2] - The Central Economic Work Conference has set a favorable environment for banks to expand their balance sheets and provide long-term loans, while emphasizing the need to manage local and real estate risks [2] - According to CICC, listed banks are expected to see improved revenue and profit growth rates in 2026 and 2027 due to reduced net interest margin pressure and stable growth in fee income [2] - The average dividend yield for the banking sector is currently at 5.2%, significantly higher than the 10-year government bond yield, indicating a shift towards a "high dividend + high quality" investment cycle [2] AI Healthcare Sector - The AI healthcare sector saw strong gains, with stocks like Jiahe Meikang and Huaren Health hitting the daily limit of 20% increase, and others like Weining Health rising over 11% [3] - The Ant Group's AI health application "Antifufu" has seen a surge in downloads, reaching over 15 million monthly active users, indicating strong market interest [3] - The AI healthcare market in China has grown from 2 billion in 2019 to 6.4 billion in 2023, with projections to reach 224.4 billion by 2033, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 43.1% [4] Commercial Aerospace Sector - The commercial aerospace sector experienced a surge, with companies like Xingchen Technology and Xice Testing hitting their daily limit, and others like Shunhao Co. and Tianjian Technology also seeing significant gains [5] - Xingchen Technology has reported successful delivery of products for commercial space applications, with plans for mass production starting in 2026 to meet increasing demand from private aerospace companies [6] - Recent policies and technological advancements are expected to accelerate the development of the commercial aerospace industry, with the National Space Administration promoting high-quality and safe development [7]

The flow of inventories moving out of warehouses into stores or directly to consumers because of e-commerce is a forward-looking indicator of retail category performance as well as a barometer on the state of transports and consumer spending. In the latest CNBC supply chain survey, 63% of respondents said they were moving more holiday related freight this year compared to last year. This is a key indicator for transport stocks because revenues are made or lost on volumes.Respondents said freight volumes hav ...