A new year of trading and investing is officially underway, and optimism across markets is running high. Risk appetite has returned, speculation is elevated, and retail investors are once again leaning into bold ideas for the year ahead.

Retail and consumer stocks got some good news when the U.S. Census Bureau recently reported retail sales numbers for November. Retail sales grew 0.6% month over month and 3.1% year over year, while core retail sales, which exclude auto-related sales and gasoline, increased 0.4% month over month and 4.4% versus a year ago.

Retail investors are racing out of the tech giants that once powered Wall Street's rally after President Donald Trump put Washington's weight squarely behind domestic chips. His latest proclamation on Intel has turned a simmering rotation away from the Magnificent Seven into a visible stampede,

Urban Outfitters' stock is surging this year, but its share price remains below $100. Under new leadership and innovative subscription models, its subscription segment sales skyrocketed 48% in Q3 of fiscal year 2026. 10 stocks we like better than Urban ...

In the face of consumer spending concerns, government shutdowns, and reduced SNAP payments, certain retail stocks have demonstrated remarkable resilience. The big-box warehouse club retail store is down 8.5% over the last 52 weeks and down 2.5% year-to ...

The narratives around retailers are often changing. The market judges them for both their track records and expectations for top- and bottom-line growth.

For skeptics questioning how much further US stocks can climb after a blockbuster run, one of the market’s dominant forces remains decisively bullish: individual investors.

Retail investors aren't tapping out of the market anytime soon. According to data from J.P. Morgan, 2025 set a new record for retail-investor inflows, with individuals net-buying single stocks and ETFs at nearly double the five-year average.