Expect a tale of two holiday seasons as the well-off spend and the rest pull back | Gene Marks

Global bond investors are increasingly viewing select emerging markets as safer investment options compared to the United States, marking a significant shift in market dynamics. This trend is expected to influence the performance of bonds in these regions positively, as investors seek stability amid global uncertainties.

Airbus has announced a major recall affecting approximately 6,000 A320 jets due to a critical software vulnerability that could be compromised by intense solar radiation. This decision follows a recent incident involving a Jetblue aircraft that raised safety concerns regarding flight control data integrity.

Anchor Brewing, a historic craft brewery established in 1869 in San Francisco, has permanently closed its iconic pub after 36 years of operation, following a series of setbacks including the cessation of national sales and a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing earlier in 2023.

New York has enacted a law aimed at preventing retailers from exploiting consumers by using artificial intelligence and personal data to set higher prices. This legislation marks a significant move in the national effort to regulate the use of customer data by businesses, although it has faced criticism and legal challenges since its inception.

US Black Friday online sales reached $8.6 billion, according to Adobe Analytics, marking a significant increase in digital spending during this key retail period. This surge reflects consumer enthusiasm for holiday shopping despite economic uncertainties.

A significant disruption occurred in worldwide markets due to a data-center issue in a Chicago suburb, which was first noted at 9:41 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday, coinciding with the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S. This incident unfolded while Wall Street was largely inactive, raising concerns about market stability during a critical trading period.

The upcoming week will focus on U.S. ISM surveys for manufacturing and services, along with the latest ADP private payrolls data, as these indicators are expected to provide insights into the Federal Reserve's potential decision to cut interest rates at its next meeting.

The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) has resumed trading after a significant outage that lasted over 10 hours, disrupting futures trading in various markets including equities, bonds, and commodities. This outage was caused by a cooling issue at CME's data centers, which raised concerns about the reliability of trading platforms during critical market hours.