On Consumers, Chips & The Oceans

Check out the accompanying pdf and chart collection. Executive Summary: Consumers are still spending robustly in many categories, as the surprisingly strong retail sales report for October showed. But Walmart and Target brass speaking on Q3 conference calls described heightened budget consciousness across income demographics. And while consumers have income, their balance sheets have been weakening as they take on more debt. … Are semiconductor stocks becoming attractive at their depressed valuations? Perhaps, but news this week reminds us why valuations are so depressed—demand is weak and analysts pessimistic. … Also: The oceans are about to get greener if innovative solutions employing AI, 3D printing, and low-tech dragnets succeed.