Group 1 - The sentiment among U.S. companies during the second earnings season appears to be polarized, with tech giants thriving on the AI boom while retail giants express concerns over the impact of tariffs [1] - Retailers such as Walmart, Target, and Best Buy have reported that the effects of Trump's tariffs are spreading, leading to price increases in groceries, home goods, and electronics [2] - J.M. Smucker warned of a 22% drop in coffee profits due to tariffs, while Hormel Foods cited significant increases in commodity input costs, resulting in a 12% drop in its stock price after issuing a warning [2] Group 2 - Retail executives are warning that price increases are on the way as new inventory arrives at higher costs, with Walmart's CEO indicating that costs are rising weekly and will continue into Q3 and Q4 [4] - The economic landscape is described as "K-shaped," where high-income consumers are thriving while low-income consumers are feeling the pressure from inflation and tariffs [4] - A consumer confidence survey from the University of Michigan showed a nearly 6% decline in August compared to July, with inflation expectations rising from 4.5% to 4.8% [4][5]