Retail stocks are entering the holiday season with tepid momentum.
After a year marked by uneven spending trends, continued inflationary fears, tariff pressures, and general economic uncertainty, the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (NYSEARCA: XRT) is essentially flat year-to-date (YTD). The sector has struggled to gain any real traction, and the loss of key government spending and confidence data following the shutdown has only made the landscape harder to read.
