As 2025 comes to an end, there continue to be signs that the post-April market recovery is bifurcated, not unlike the oft-referenced K-shaped economic recovery. And despite critical macro data that’s routinely provided by the government not being delivered during or in the wake of the shutdown earlier this fall, the way the economy is manifesting itself in the market is telling.
That’s particularly true of the consumer discretionary and consumer staples spaces, which are highly sensitive to consumer spending habits. But it’s even more true for a handful of mega-cap companies that are so impactful, they’ve come to serve as barometers of economic health.
