US Holiday Spending Jumped In December, Signaling Consumer Strength Into 2026 American consumers closed out the holiday season with a strong December spending surge, adding to evidence that household demand remains resilient even as confidence surveys show lingering unease about the economy. Retail sales during the final two months of 2025 rose 4.1 percent from a year earlier, according to a Jan. ...
US Holiday Spending Jumped In December, Signaling Consumer Strength Into 2026 American consumers closed out the holiday season with a strong December spending surge, adding to evidence that household demand remains resilient even as confidence surveys show lingering unease about the economy. Retail sales during the final two months of 2025 rose 4.1 percent from a year earlier, according to a Jan. 12 report from the National Retail Federation (NRF), pointing to total spending of just more than $1 trillion. Retail sales excluding automobiles and gasoline stations rose 1.26 percent in December from November on a seasonally adjusted basis and increased 3.54 percent from 2024. Core retail sales—excluding restaurants in addition to auto dealers and gas stations—climbed 1.6 percent month over month in December and rose 3.58 percent year over year. As Tom Ozimek reports for The Epoch Times, NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay described the retail sales growth numbers as a “sharp surge” that showed consumers continued to spend eagerly on friends and family over the holidays. “Continued economic momentum helped land 2025 holiday sales near the top of NRF’s forecast, reaffirming that consumers remain on solid footing,” Shay said. The acceleration was broad, with sales up across all nine retail categories on a monthly basis and higher in six of nine categories on a yearly basis. Clothing, sporting goods, and digital products led year-over-year gains. The December figures, which paint a picture of economic resilience and consumer strength heading into 2026, are based on anonymized credit and debit card purchase data. Official government data on retail spending, released monthly by the U.S. Census Bureau, are not yet available for December. In November, NRF predicted that retail spend would reach just above $1 trillion over the holiday season, despite some gloomier sentiment surveys suggesting a possible consumer retrenchment. “American consumers may be cautious in sentiment, yet ...
Gold.com (GOLD) witnessed a jump in share price last session on above-average trading volume. The latest trend in earnings estimate revisions for the stock doesn't suggest further strength down the road.
Gold.com (GOLD) witnessed a jump in share price last session on above-average trading volume. The latest trend in earnings estimate revisions for the stock doesn't suggest further strength down the road.
Delta Air Lines Inc. is ordering 30 Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner jets in its first-ever purchase of that model, providing a boost to the US planemaker that highlights the airline’s optimism for international travel demand. The announcement came as Atlanta-based Delta reported earnings for the fourth quarter that beat analyst estimates. Revenue last year rose to a record $58.3 billion, in line with an...
Delta Air Lines Inc. is ordering 30 Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner jets in its first-ever purchase of that model, providing a boost to the US planemaker that highlights the airline’s optimism for international travel demand. The announcement came as Atlanta-based Delta reported earnings for the fourth quarter that beat analyst estimates. Revenue last year rose to a record $58.3 billion, in line with analysts’ expectations. Bloomberg's George Ferguson joins to discuss on Bloomberg Intelligence. (Source: Bloomberg)
Warburg Pincus is considering a possible sale of UK insurance broker McGill and Partners , according to people familiar with the matter. The private equity firm has held early talks with potential advisers to explore options for London-based McGill, the people said, asking not to be identified as the information isn’t public. McGill could be valued at more than $1 billion in a deal, the people sai...
Warburg Pincus is considering a possible sale of UK insurance broker McGill and Partners , according to people familiar with the matter. The private equity firm has held early talks with potential advisers to explore options for London-based McGill, the people said, asking not to be identified as the information isn’t public. McGill could be valued at more than $1 billion in a deal, the people said. A process could start later this year, though Warburg could still opt to keep the business, the people added. A representative for Warburg declined to comment. A representative for McGill also declined to comment, saying the management team is focused on running the company and executing the strategy for long-term growth. McGill was founded in 2019 by Steve McGill, a former group president of Aon Plc . The firm helps broker insurance for sectors including aviation and aerospace, property and construction, energy, marine and cargo, its website shows. McGill posted revenue growth of more than 20% in the first half of 2025 and an increase of 79% in its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization from the same period in 2024. Warburg first invested in McGill in 2019. Five years later, it moved the company into a multi-asset continuation vehicle backed by HarbourVest Partners , Ardian and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board . In September, McGill secured new credit facilities worth $300 million from Morgan Stanley , Permira and Bridgepoint Group Plc , saying it would support its next phase of growth. Pollen Street Eyes IPO for Markerstudy at £3 Billion Value Allianz, Oaktree Set Up Reinsurance Syndicate on Lloyd’s Market Howden Buys M&A Insurance Broker Atlantic in Latest US Expansion
Investors have piled into nuclear energy stocks , and for good reason. Over the past few years, countries worldwide have committed to tripling their nuclear energy capacity in the coming decades to meet growing energy needs while reducing carbon emissions. Nuclear energy is a reliable baseload power source, and some start-ups are developing technologies that could make small-scale nuclear power re...
Investors have piled into nuclear energy stocks , and for good reason. Over the past few years, countries worldwide have committed to tripling their nuclear energy capacity in the coming decades to meet growing energy needs while reducing carbon emissions. Nuclear energy is a reliable baseload power source, and some start-ups are developing technologies that could make small-scale nuclear power readily available for data centers and industrial warehouses. NuScale Power (NYSE: SMR) is one such company. The company's stock price surged in 2025, but it has since fallen by 64% and could fall further in the coming months. Here's why. NuScale Power develops small modular reactors (SMRs), compact nuclear reactors designed for scalable, lower-cost development compared with traditional reactors. These SMRs could provide reliable, carbon-free baseload power for utilities, industrial uses, and data centers. Currently, NuScale is the only company to have an SMR design certified by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Continue reading
Ballot initiative, opposed by the ultra-wealthy, would levy one-time 5% tax on individuals worth more than $1bn California’s governor, Gavin Newsom , renewed his pledge this week to fight a controversial plan to tax billionaires in the state. The proposed ballot measure, which could go to voters in November, has gained public attention recently amid heavy criticism and threats from tech moguls to ...
Ballot initiative, opposed by the ultra-wealthy, would levy one-time 5% tax on individuals worth more than $1bn California’s governor, Gavin Newsom , renewed his pledge this week to fight a controversial plan to tax billionaires in the state. The proposed ballot measure, which could go to voters in November, has gained public attention recently amid heavy criticism and threats from tech moguls to leave the state. In interviews with Politico and the New York Times published on Monday, Newsom described his office’s efforts to kill the proposed billionaire tax and told the Times he would “do what I have to do to protect the state”. As a direct-to-voters ballot initiative, Newsom would not have the power to veto the tax if the proposal passed. Continue reading...