Macro
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consumer · sector mood
2004
year mood
+0.29
· +0.05 to +0.35 across 12 mo
Monthly mood
bearish −1
+1 bullish
month values ▾
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| +0.30 | +0.30 | +0.30 | +0.35 | +0.35 | +0.35 | +0.35 | +0.30 | +0.30 | +0.25 | +0.05 | +0.25 |
Payroll surge boosts consumer spending
How this mood is scored ▾
Each day the model reads that day's news for the sector and asks, as someone who owns assets or
makes their living in it: how am I feeling this month, and why?
The month's mood is that running answer, tied to the specific events driving it (the story shown
above). It leans on trusted, higher-impact reporting, and on the prior month when a month is
quiet, so one loud headline can't swing it. The read updates daily through
the month; once a month ends, its mood is locked.
This year is read live from the news the pipeline actually collected (hover a bar for its story count).
· last computed Jul 11, 2026
Top consumer stories of 2004
Nov
Kmart acquires Sears in $11 billion merger to form Sears Holdings
nbcnews.com →
Kmart, led by Edward Lampert, is acquiring Sears in an $11 billion deal to create Sears Holdings, forming the third-largest U.S. retailer. The merger aims to cut costs by $500 million annually and enhance competitiveness against Walmart and Home Depot, with combined annual revenues of $55 billion. Market reaction is positive, though analysts remain cautious due to both companies' past struggles.