VCR News and Press, Vanguard Consumer Discretion From 04/02/21

Demand for the latest fashion trends is always strong in the weeks leading up to Easter, a time when retailers are still selling the season's must-have Spring items at full price. The current average promotional discount for online stores is 34.2% and has dropped below the 2020 pandem...

Consumer confidence has yet to reach the higher pre-pandemic level, but it is moving up from its low after not declining as much as it did during the financial crisis. Two big ticket purchases for the consumer are a home and an automobile. As is the case with housing, auto invento...

This article challenges readers to rethink their assumptions regarding inflation causes and measuring. Consumer goods, services, and wages have disinflationary pressure through debt, demographics, and technology. Capital markets have inflationary pressure as long as the monetary i...

Grocery is an enormous retail segment, with $658.1 billion in annual sales projected in 2021, the second-largest retail trade segment. In a way, Instacart has become the Amazon of Supermarkets with a twist — enabling third party sellers to share in the benefit of their platform...

Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF (VCR) - $0.1095.30-Day SEC Yield of 0.50% as of Feb. 28.Payable Mar 31; for shareholders of record Mar 29; ex-div Mar 26. For further details see: Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF declares quarterly distribution of $0.1095

One reason behind rising interest rate fears is that import prices continue to rise. Overall, import prices have risen 3% in the past 12 months, so inflationary pressures continue to build. Export prices rose 1.6% in February, following a 2.5% surge in January. In the past 12 months, ...

The U.S. has mobilized the largest COVID-19 vaccination rollout of any country in the world. For consumers, returning to the physical world doesn't seem to be based on state governments lifting restrictions, or their reassurances that there will be enough supply for all adults who wan...

Increasing the bond allocation is a protection feature during risk-on periods, applied when a high level of market volatility is detected. Adding volatility protection decreases a portfolio’s volatility and drawdowns. That improvement comes at a cost, though, in lower returns. ...

Investor sentiment and behavior, whether retail or institutional, capture the market "mood"-is it optimistic or pessimistic? The three most commonly referenced confidence indicators are the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index, the Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index...

Total industrial production declined by -2.2% in February, while manufacturing production declined -3.1%. Both of these were the first declines of any significance since last April. Nominal retail sales declined -3.0%. After adjusting by the CPI, real retail sales declined -3.4%. ...