Retail Data Overview - In August 2025, U.S. retail sales increased by 0.6% month-on-month, surpassing the expected 0.2% and revised from a previous value of 0.5%[2] - Core retail sales (excluding automobiles and gasoline) rose by 0.7%, exceeding the forecast of 0.4% and revised from 0.3%[2] Market Reaction - Following the retail data release, the Dow Jones, S&P 500, and Nasdaq indices experienced slight declines of -0.27%, -0.13%, and -0.07% respectively[3] - The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield fell by 1 basis point to 4.04%, while the 2-year yield decreased by 3 basis points to 3.51%[3] Economic Insights - The stabilization in consumer spending indicates that the most critical phase of consumer confidence disruption due to tariffs has passed, with the consumer confidence index rising to 58.2 in August from a low of 52.2 in Q2[4][9] - Consumer spending accounts for nearly 70% of U.S. GDP, suggesting that a stable consumption environment reduces the likelihood of an economic downturn[4][8] Consumption Trends - Non-durable goods, such as online retail (+2.0%), sports and hobbies (+0.8%), and clothing (+1.0%), showed strong performance, while durable goods like automobiles (+0.5%) and furniture (-0.3%) experienced a slowdown[6][11] - Service consumption, particularly in restaurants and bars, increased by 0.7%, indicating resilience in the service sector[12] Interest Rate Outlook - The current economic conditions suggest a "preventive" approach to interest rate cuts, with expectations for a 25 basis point reduction in September 2025 being the baseline scenario[10][14] - Market expectations indicate a 96.0% probability of a rate cut in September, with further cuts anticipated in October (74.8%) and December (69.8%)[14][23]