Bankinter | Cyber Monday online sales total $13.3 billion according to Adobe Analytics, increasing 7.3% against 5.8% in 2023. During the five-day period between Thanksgiving Day and Cyber Monday, online sales totaled $41.1 billion, 8.2% up on the same period last year. On these days, the National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates that total spending (physical + online sales) amounted to $235 billion, showing an increase of 3.5%. For the entire…

BancaMarch: US consumer confidence has improved. The Conference Board index rebounded in November reflecting an improvement in consumer expectations with the aggregate index rising 2.1 points in the month to levels of 111.7. This performance was helped by the executive turnaround in the elections at the beginning of November and by the positive wealth effect that rising stock markets and house prices are having on more affluent US households. In…

Norbolsa | Business activity expanded in November at the fastest pace in over two and a half years when the preliminary PMI reading reached 55.3 (54.3 estimated against 54.1 previously) driven by expectations of a lower interest rate environment and “pro-business” policies from the Trump administration. By sector, the momentum in services (57 versus 55 estimated against 55 previously) was surprising, with the new order readings expanding to levels of…

Banca March : In the United States, second-hand home sales fell to a 14-year low in September. With a 1% monthly decline, the US housing figures disappointed the market, which had expected a 0.5% rise. On an annualised basis, units sold came in at 3.84 million, slightly below the 3.88 million expected. This bad moment for the sector is explained, among other things, by the fact that buyers are opting…

Norbolsa | Fiscal deficit figures for the 2024 fiscal year have been released, showing an 8% increase in the deficit, bringing the deficit-to-GDP ratio to 6.4% from 6.2% in 2023. This fiscal performance could weigh on the Harris campaign, which is being presented as a more fiscally balanced policy. Thus, the Committee to care for a “Responsible Federal Budget” estimates that Trump’s plans would raise the debt by $7.5 trillion,…

Bankinter | In an interview at the Economic Club of Chicago, Trump insisted on his plans for tariff hikes, refuting economists’ forecasts that this would result in a negative impact on supply chains, consumers and economic activity. Tariffs on China would be 60% and 10% on the rest of the world. In their view, companies would quickly bring production back to the US to avoid the tariffs, generating more economic…

Norbolsa : The strike in the Eastern USA ports has come to an end, with the agreement between the operators and the dockers, in what has been the longest conflict in the last 50 years. They have obtained a rise of 62% over 6 years, with the hourly wage rising from 39$/h to 63$/h. With the reopening of ports, there is a relief in the market, which feared the impacts…

BancaMarch: The US plans to put a ban on Chinese vehicles over fears of sabotage and potential national security risks. The US Department of Commerce has proposed a veto on all internet-connected vehicles with software or hardware from China. The move is justified by growing concerns that cars could be remotely manipulated or collect information on drivers and US infrastructure. As the national security advisor noted: with millions of vehicles…