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Walmart (WMT) reported earnings per share (EPS) of $0.66, surpassing the expected $0.64. Revenue came in at $180.55 billion, slightly exceeding forecasts of $179.85 billion. The company’s market value reached $781.81 billion, reflecting continued growth in retail performance.

The US Leading Economic Index (LEI) declined 0.3% MoM in January, a steeper drop than the 0.1% expected and reversing from the 0.1% growth recorded in December. The decline suggests a weakening economic outlook, indicating potential headwinds for future growth.

The latest US labor market data showed a slight increase in unemployment claims. Initial jobless claims for the week ending February 14 rose to 219K, exceeding the 215K forecast and up from 214K in the previous week. Meanwhile, continuing jobless claims for the week ending February 7 came in at 1,869K, nearly in line with the 1,870K estimate but higher than 1,845K in the prior period. The 4-week average of jobless claims stood at 215.25K, slightly lower than the previous average of 216.25K, indicating relative stability in job market trends.

The US housing market showed mixed signals in January. Building permits rose 0.1% MoM, recovering from a -0.7% decline previously, with total permits at 1.483M, slightly above the 1.460M estimate and nearly unchanged from 1.482M in December. However, housing starts fell sharply by -9.8% MoM, reversing from the 16.1% surge in December, with total starts at 1.366M, missing the 1.390M forecast and well below 1.515M in the previous month. This decline suggests a slowdown in new home construction activity.

Foreign demand for U.S. Treasury bonds saw a significant decline in December, with foreign buying of T-bonds at -$49.7B, marking a larger outflow compared to -34.4B in the previous month. However, overall net capital flows remained positive at $87.1B, though notably lower than $134.1B in November. TIC Net Long-Term Transactions came in at $72.0B, falling short of the $149.1B expected but improving from $53.2B in the prior month, indicating mixed investor sentiment towards U.S. assets.

U.S. industrial production showed steady growth in January 2025, with Industrial Production (YoY) rising to 2.00%, significantly up from 0.34% in December. On a monthly basis, Industrial Production (MoM) increased by 0.5%, surpassing the expected 0.3% but slowing from the 1.0% gain in December. However, Manufacturing Production (MoM) declined by 0.1%, missing the 0.1% forecast and reversing December’s 0.5% growth, indicating some weakness in the manufacturing sector.

U.S. retail sales declined more than expected in January 2025, signaling weaker consumer spending. Retail Sales (MoM) dropped by 0.9%, significantly below the expected 0.2% decline and reversing December’s 0.7% increase. Core Retail Sales (excluding autos) fell by 0.4%, missing the 0.3% growth forecast and down from 0.7% in the previous month. Retail Control, which feeds into GDP calculations, contracted by 0.8%, well below the expected 0.3% rise and December’s 0.8% gain. Meanwhile, Retail Sales (YoY) eased to 4.2% from 4.36% in December, further indicating a slowdown in spending momentum.

Inflationary pressures persist as the Producer Price Index (PPI) for January 2025 came in higher than estimates. PPI (MoM) increased by 0.4%, exceeding the 0.3% forecast, but lower than December’s 0.5%. PPI (YoY) held steady at 3.5%, surpassing expectations of 3.2%. Core PPI (MoM) rose 0.3%, matching estimates but lower than December’s 0.4%, while Core PPI (YoY) climbed 3.6%, above the 3.3% forecast, though slightly down from December’s 3.7%. These figures reinforce persistent inflationary pressures across sectors.

The labor market showed further resilience, as Initial Jobless Claims for the week ending February 8 dropped to 213K, beating expectations of 217K and improving from 220K in the previous week. Meanwhile, Continuing Jobless Claims for the week ending January 31 fell to 1.85M, down from 1.88M previously, signaling steady employment conditions. The 4-week average also edged lower to 216K, reflecting a healthy job market despite broader economic uncertainties.

U.S. inflation accelerated in January 2025, with CPI rising 3.0% year-over-year, slightly above the expected 2.9%, while the monthly CPI increased by 0.5%, exceeding the forecasted 0.3%. Core CPI, which excludes food and energy, climbed 3.3% year-over-year, higher than the anticipated 3.1%, and rose 0.4% month-over-month, also above the expected 0.3%. The Core CPI Index reached 324.74, up from the previous 323.30. The hotter-than-expected inflation data may reinforce expectations of a more cautious stance from the Federal Reserve regarding potential rate cuts.

Marriott International (MAR) reported strong Q4 2024 earnings, with earnings per share (EPS) of $2.45, beating expectations of $2.37, and revenue of $6.43 billion, slightly exceeding the forecasted $6.37 billion. The company’s market capitalization stood at $80.03 billion. Despite economic uncertainties, Marriott’s solid performance reflects sustained travel demand and strong occupancy rates, highlighting resilience in the hospitality sector.

Gilead Sciences (GILD) posted strong Q4 2024 earnings, with earnings per share (EPS) of $1.90, surpassing expectations of $1.71, and revenue of $7.6 billion, beating the forecasted $7.16 billion. The company’s market capitalization stood at $119.82 billion. The robust performance was driven by strong sales of its antiviral and oncology treatments, reinforcing Gilead’s position in the biopharmaceutical sector.