As more than 75% of Americans express concerns about the economy, recent holiday spending signals potential trouble ahead. Over 18 million Americans defied uncertainty, hitting stores during the Thanksgiving weekend, with a record-breaking 200.4 million consumers making purchases. Despite a surge in online shopping, worries persist as experts warn of a looming credit card debt crisis.
The National Retail Federation reveals that 44% of consumers favored online platforms, emphasizing the shift towards digital transactions. “I buy a lot of stuff on TikTok and stuff like that, so I do believe people use their phones to buy stuff more than in person,” notes Ifrah Sultan from Nashville, Tennessee.
Amidst the holiday shopping frenzy, ominous signs in the financial sector emerge. Blackstone Mortgage Trust teeters on the brink, highlighting potential risks in loans backed by commercial real estate. A liquidity crisis looms, with the prospect of rising default risks, and Muddy Waters predicts borrowers may struggle to refinance even if the Fed cuts rates to 4%.
In parallel, the ADP Employment Report disappoints, revealing that businesses added only 103,000 workers to their payrolls in November, falling short of the forecasted 128,000. With signs of a slowdown in the trucking sector and increasing layoffs, indications of an impending recession are hard to ignore. Buckle up; a credit crisis may be closer than we think.
Sources:
ADP Employment Report Disappoints as Leisure and Hospitality Jobs Contract
🚨 Mega Crash Alert: Blackstone Mortgage Trust on the Brink 📉💥
🏢 Loans backed by commercial real estate in jeopardy ⚠️
💰 Liquidity crisis looms; default risk rising 📈
💼 Muddy Waters predicts borrowers unable to refinance even if Fed cut rates to 4% pic.twitter.com/Mt0Ska6pYa
— The Coastal Journal (@1CoastalJournal) December 6, 2023
Recession is nearing
Buckle up! pic.twitter.com/E3Ilfif9IK
— Game of Trades (@GameofTrades_) December 6, 2023