Open Menu INVESTMENT STRATEGY CLIENT ACCESS CLIENT ACCESS SUPPORT INVESTMENT INSIGHTS SOLUTIONS EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES REQUEST LATEST REPORT THREE THINGS TO KNOW AND WATCH By Bill Hornbarger, Chief Investment Officer Three Things to Watch The markets will be closed on Thursday and stocks will have a shortened session on Friday, closing at 1 pm ET. There are few earnings reports due out this week with both Zoom and Best Buy reporting. Investors will look for guidance on how those companies expect to fare in a post-pandemic environment. The economic calendar is light, with new home sales, durable goods, and GDP the highlights. New home sales are expected to be flat while durable goods orders for October are forecast to increase 0.2% while 3Q GDP is expected at 2.2% up slightly from the preliminary report. The minutes from the November 3rd FOMC meeting will be released. The Fed announced its plans to taper its monthly bond buying program at this meeting. Three Things to Know Airports and roads may seem more crowded this year as AAA predicts 53.4 million people will travel for the Thanksgiving holiday, up 13% from 2020. This brings travel volume within 5% of pre-pandemic levels in 2019, with air travel almost completely recovering from its dramatic fall during the pandemic, up 80% over last year. (Source: Yahoo, American Automobile Association) An additional 2 million people are expected to shop from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday this year even as consumers have continued the trend of starting their holiday shopping earlier in the year. Fully two-thirds (66 percent) of holiday shoppers surveyed in early November plan to shop Thanksgiving weekend this year. That amounts to an estimated 158.3 million people, up from 156.6 million last year but still below the 165.3 million in pre-pandemic 2019. (Source: National Retail Federation) The National Retail Federation survey also indicates clothing to top the list of what consumers plan to buy. Clothing ranked at the top of the list at 53percent, followed by gift cards at 46 percent, toys at 39 percent, books/music/movies/video games at 35 percent and food/candy at 31 percent as the top five categories. (Source: National Retail Federation) The above information reflects the current opinion of the author. It is based upon sources and data believed to be accurate and reliable. Opinions and forward-looking statements expressed are subject to change without notice. This information does not constitute a solicitation or an offer to buy or sell any security mentioned. View All LATEST NEWS AND INSIGHTS Investment Insights Monthly – November 2021 View All WEEKLY MARKET COMMENTARY By Pete Biebel, Senior Vice President As the holiday season begins, with it comes the eager anticipation of many traditional seasonal events. From mundane tasks like hauling out the holiday decorations and napping through NFL games to more anxiety-filled chores like shopping for and shipping off just the right holiday gifts. Mailing cards and presents carries extra stress this year; we’re already being advised to shop early due to supply chain bottlenecks and being warned to mail early in anticipation of the coming holiday surge. Read More View All Benjamin F. Edwards® 1 N Brentwood Blvd, Ste 850 St. Louis, Missouri 63105 TF (855) 382-1600 BENJAMIN F. EDWARDS CLIENT RELATIONSHIP SUMMARY EDWARDS WEALTH MANAGEMENT CLIENT RELATIONSHIP SUMMARY Check the background of this firm on FINRA's BrokerCheck CLIENT ACCESS Learn more about the information we collect about you when you visit our website or open an account with us. Important Disclosures | Privacy and Security | Order Routing and Execution | Sitemap | Careers © 2021 Benjamin F. Edwards. All rights reserved. Terms of Use. Benjamin F. Edwards® & Co. (“BFE”) is a dually-registered broker-dealer and investment adviser and member of FINRA and SIPC, and its affiliate Benjamin F. Edwards Wealth ManagementSM LLC, d/b/a Edwards Wealth ManagementSM (“EWM”) is an SEC-registered investment adviser. BFE and EWM are affiliates through their common ownership by Benjamin Edwards, Inc. Depending on the context, the names “Benjamin F. Edwards®”, “Benjamin Edwards” or “Edwards” can refer to either EWM, BFE or both.