consumer spending

Americans are still spending, but not as freely as before. JPMorgan analyst Richard Shane notes that overall spending growth slowed to 2.4% in March, down from earlier in the year. Blame it on cautious consumers, a later Easter, or just a tough comparison to 2024 – but the numbers don't lie...

Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) has reportedly proposed a $100 million payment to Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) to secure the Apple Card network. This move comes amid fierce competition among the country’s leading payment networks. What Happened: Apple Card is up for grabs as Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE:GS...

Black Friday in the U.S. saw unprecedented online sales this year, with generative AI chatbots being a key driver in boosting retail website traffic. What Happened: The online expenditure during the shopping festival hit $10.8 billion, a 10.2% jump from 2023. According to a report by Barron...

In a recent study, the National Retail Federation (NRF) warns that Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs could significantly impact American consumers, potentially reducing annual spending by $78 billion. What Happened: The NRF study highlights the potential consequences of Trump’s tariff...

The battle over consumer spending on food and household items continues to heat up and big-box retailers may be taking more market share from dollar stores across several categories. What Happened: Discount retailer Dollar General Corp (NYSE:DG) recently reported second-quarter financial results...

The latest Federal Reserve Beige Book report released Wednesday shows a slight expansion in overall economic activity, with 10 of the 12 districts showing growth, a mild improvement from previous findings. Consumer spending displayed minimal growth, manufacturing activity declined slightly and...

The Chinese government is tightening the noose on debt defaulters, imposing stringent penalties that include restrictions on high-speed rail travel and luxury accommodations. This move is part of a broader crackdown on unpaid bills. What Happened: Beijing is resorting to severe actions against...

U.S. retail sales surprisingly surged well above economic forecasts last month, spiking to a 4% annual growth and highlighting the resilience of American consumers despite increasing inflationary pressures. On monthly basis, retail sales grew 0.7%, softening from the 0.9% pace in February but well...

Higher interest rates may have helped consumers. That’s according to Ryan Detrick, chief market strategist at Carson Group, who asked: “We know consumers are paying more for things if they are using debt. How can this possibly be a good thing?” He answers by pointing to the...

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with additional details. Retail sales climbed 0.6% in February, a welcome gain following a fall in January, but not as good as the 0.8% that was expected by economists. The data showed that total sales for the December through to February period were...

Despite economic pressures, record-breaking spending is anticipated for this year’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday, with an expected average consumer spending of $567, a 13% increase from the previous year. What Happened: According to a report by Bloomberg, shoppers are undeterred by...

Experts predict that U.S. economic growth has seen a significant boost in the third quarter, driven by increased consumer spending and a reduction in slowdown fears. The prediction comes ahead of the Commerce Department’s release of its initial estimate of third-quarter gross domestic product...

We are currently witnessing an unexpected era of the stock market where despite increasing interest rates and fears of a recession, the stock market is rallying, which may seem confusing. One key metric to understand this is the Price to Earnings or P/E ratio. It tells us how much investors are...

Recently issued earnings reports from prominent retailers paint a nuanced picture of the U.S. consumer landscape. While Kohl’s Corp (NYSE:KSS) managed to beat expectations despite a broader slowdown, other retailers, notably Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc (NYSE:DKS) and Macy’s Inc (...

A slowdown in consumption in March appears to have unwound in April, according to the latest weekly payment card transactions data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), indicating consumers are shrugging off the chance of a recession. What Happened: Card spending advanced by 15.5% for the...