July 21, 2026
7 Key Issues We’re Watching Tomorrow What we would act on Three things: any change to 2026 or 2027 capex expectations, read alongside backlog and capacity commentary; Search monetization relative to AI query growth and…
July 19, 2026
Summary: (1) Our analysis of the latest buying attitudes by category points to consumers at low and worsening purchase plans except for homes, see Charts of the Week; (2) Our analysis shows spending decelerated last…
July 17, 2026
The Optimal Advisory Cost Factor accelerated on a y/y basis for the second week in a row. For the year, costs are up (+4.3% y/y) primarily on energy and packaging. Deflationary softs & sweeteners have…
July 16, 2026
This week we walked accessory brand outlet stores in addition to Coach’s New York 5th Avenue flagship store for contrast and to see how the major New York accessory show discounts and present in store….
July 15, 2026
Sports Ecosystem spending trends inflected back upwards to flat this week, our sector equity indices were mixed against the broader market, and we update our analysis on NKE across the US and globally. Summary: (1)…
July 14, 2026
One feedback loop drives the boom: chatbot hype and record user adoption, automation gains for developers, fast-growing revenue at the AI labs, and FOMO. It has lifted all three of our subsectors: Infrastructure, Software, and Tech Megacaps. Our Five…
July 12, 2026
Summary: (1) Cyclospora is just beginning to drive income questions on restaurant, produce, and the food supply chain, in Chart of the Week we measure the level of concerns and discuss names and precedents; (2)…
July 10, 2026
The Optimal Advisory Cost Factor accelerated on a y/y basis this week after decelerating for 5 consecutive weeks. For the year, costs are only up slightly (+3.6% y/y) on energy and packaging, but still up…
July 9, 2026
Highlights of our regular weekly store walks looking at execution, innovation, shelves, endcaps, and pallets. This week we tracked the proteinification of the store across three channels: Costco, Wegmans, and Amazon. Summary: (1) protein is…
July 8, 2026
Sports Ecosystem trends stayed slightly negative this week, our sector equity indices were mixed against a flat market, and we dive into our latest analysis on NKE across the US and globally. Summary: (1) Optimal’s…
July 5, 2026
Summary: (1) In our conversations with companies, we continue to hear about Gen Z and Boomer strength (and the pinch for Xers) … in Chart of the Week we highlight compelling analysis that after-tax, after-transfer…
July 2, 2026
Highlights of our regular weekly store walks looking at execution, innovation, shelves, endcaps, and pallets. This week we examine premium coastal summer brand stores. Summary: (1) La Jolla this week, a read on premium coastal…
July 2, 2026
The Optimal Advisory Cost Factor decelerated on a y/y basis for the fifth consecutive week. It had accelerated for 15 consecutive weeks after the breakout of the Iranian conflict. For the year, costs are up…
July 1, 2026
Sports Ecosystem trends stayed slightly negative this week, our sector equity indices primarily underperformed, and we dive into our analysis on NKE and especially in China following yesterday’s reported earnings. Summary: (1) Optimal’s Sports Ecosystem…
June 30, 2026
In this June report, we update our work across 109 consumer names. We analyze both (a) the relative inflection of AI-driven engagement and (b) the weight of AI engagement within the mix of engagement of…