US investors eye holiday sales for market salve
Strong Black Friday purchases could ease concerns of a struggling Wall Street and help equities steady
Investors will get a glimpse of consumer health this week as the holiday shopping season gets under way with Black Friday sales, and a solid start could help equities steady after several tumultuous weeks. The day after Thanksgiving has been regarded as the traditional start of the holiday buying season, though deals and bargains are being unveiled earlier this year. Wall Street has been struggling with uncertainty over US congressional midterm elections, the path of interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve, tariffs, the trade war and the possibility corporate earnings have already peaked. But a strong start to the gift-buying season could help ease some concerns. After an October that saw the S&P 500 slump nearly 7%, Wall Street has struggled to find its footing, rising 0.7% so far in November. That puts the index on pace for its biggest quarterly loss since the third quarter of 2015 and its worst fourth-quarter performance in a decade. About 38% of American consumers plan to sho...
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