FDIS

Consumers Binge Despite Higher Interest Rates, And The Fed Watches Them Nervously

Retail sales in March increased by 0.7% seasonally adjusted, with a year-over-year jump of 4.0%. Total retail sales jumped 10.1% in March from February to $712 billion. Ecommerce, food services, and general merchandise retailers were the biggest drivers of growth.

U.S. Retail Sales Rack Up Solid March Numbers

U.S. Retail sales smashed expectations in March, with total sales up 0.7% and ex-autos up 1.1%. Non-store retailers and bars and restaurants saw the biggest year/year increase. Five out of the 10 consumer-related industries have turned positive. The latest retail sales data reflects strong consumer buying.

U.S. Household Spending Holds Firm

Retail sales beat all expectations. US retail sales rose a very robust 0.7% month-on-month in March versus 0.4% expected. With jobs, inflation, and activity all beating expectations, the Federal Reserve is in no position to cut interest rates. We expect spending and inflation to slow, but the Fed won't be contemplating rate cuts.

Weekly Report: what happened at FDIS last week (0408-0412)?

5 ETFs to Tap Amazon's Growth Story

Top Seeking Alpha Quant picks in S&P 500 Consumer Discretionary sector ahead of earnings

Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund ETF (XLY) has underperformed the S&P 500 in the past 12 months. The consumer discretionary sector had the largest net selling and was among the worst-performing sectors last week. Goldman Sachs expects strong 1Q EPS growth in the consumer discretionary industry. The sector's growth has been slower than other industries due to inflation and interest rate spikes.

Weekly Report: what happened at FDIS last week (0401-0405)?

Consumer Discretionary ETF (FDIS) Hits New 52-Week High