Generally, fast-casual diners are higher income and more likely to have white-collar jobs. However, Chipotle CEO Scott Boatwright blamed a pullback from low-income consumers for the chain’s same-store sales declines of 4% in the second quarter.

"We don’t expect the consumer environment to improve over the remainder of the year", CEO Jacob Aarup-Andersen said yesterday (14 August).

Lots of reports on the calendar for Friday, headed by retail sales. But the discussion in markets was still the hotter-than-forecast producer price index, and what it means heading into next week's Jackson Hole gathering of Fed speakers when Chair Jerome Powell speaks.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was flat yesterday while the S&P 500 continues to climb, rising another 2% to 6,468. As expected, traders shrugged off the hotter-than-expected Producer Price Index as the headline inflation numbers continue to dominate sentiment.

Heineken Malaysia Bhd is eyeing opportunities from the increased tourism activities in the country, despite concerns on soft consumer sentiment for the time being.

Earnings season is not only an opportunity for investors to evaluate the success (or lack thereof) of individual companies in the last several months, but also a chance to get a more general reading on larger issues facing the economy.

Consumer sentiment in Utah has varied greatly in the last year or so, with rises and dips largely correlating with President Donald Trump's election and actions during his second term.