Retail ETF XRT Rises 8% as Holiday Shopping Season Kicks Off
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Dec 24 2025
0mins
Source: CNBC
- Holiday Shopping Season Begins: The State Street SPDR S & P Retail ETF (XRT) has risen 8% over the past month, indicating a rebound in consumer spending as the holiday shopping season kicks off, which could drive overall retail sector recovery.
- Abercrombie & Fitch Strong Performance: The company's stock surged 77% in a month, although it remains 25% below its January peak, suggesting initial success in its brand revitalization strategy.
- Victoria's Secret Continues to Rise: The brand's shares increased nearly 50% in a month and hit a new high last week, reflecting its competitive strength and shifts in consumer preferences.
- Bank Stocks Perform Well: Major banks like Bank of America and JPMorgan rose 8.5% and 9.4% respectively over the month, reaching all-time highs, indicating a robust recovery in the financial sector and increased investor confidence.
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Analyst Views on BAC
Wall Street analysts forecast BAC stock price to rise
19 Analyst Rating
15 Buy
4 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 53.360
Low
55.00
Averages
61.64
High
71.00
Current: 53.360
Low
55.00
Averages
61.64
High
71.00
About BAC
Bank of America Corporation is a bank holding company and a financial holding company. Its segments include Consumer Banking, Global Wealth & Investment Management (GWIM), Global Banking and Global Markets. Consumer Banking segment offers a range of credit, banking and investment products and services to consumers and small businesses. The GWIM includes two businesses: Merrill Wealth Management, which provides tailored solutions to meet clients' needs through a full set of investment management, brokerage, banking and retirement products and Bank of America Private Bank, which provides comprehensive wealth management solutions. Global Banking segment provides a range of lending-related products and services, integrated working capital management and treasury solutions, and underwriting and advisory services. Global Markets segment offers sales and trading services and research services to institutional clients across fixed-income, credit, currency, commodity, and equity businesses.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- No Minimum Participation: The program is open to clients with a Bank of America personal checking account and requires no minimum balance, with membership tiers based on account balances, allowing clients to earn rewards valued up to $4,000 annually, reflecting the bank's commitment to diverse client needs.
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- No Minimum Participation: The program is open to clients with a Bank of America personal checking account and requires no minimum balance, with membership tiers based on account balances, allowing clients to earn rewards valued up to $4,000 annually, reflecting the bank's commitment to diverse client needs.
- Diverse Reward Offerings: BofA Rewards includes various incentives such as credit card rewards of up to 75% on purchases, cash-back deals from over 15,000 brands, and exclusive discounts on home and auto loans, designed to meet clients' needs at different life stages.
- Premium Member Benefits: Preferred Honors and Premier tier members can receive reimbursements for popular subscriptions, with credits of up to $96 per year for Preferred Honors and up to $180 for Premier members, further enhancing loyalty and satisfaction among high-end clients.
See More
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- Optimistic Outlook: The company anticipates Q1 revenue between $315 million and $317 million, implying a 38% growth that surpasses the market expectation of $292 million, reflecting Figma's confidence in its future performance.
- AI Strategic Partnership: Figma has partnered with AI startup Anthropic to integrate AI technologies into its products, and while there are concerns about AI's potential impact on the software industry, Figma's monetization timeline for AI remains on track.
- Intensifying Market Competition: Despite Figma's growth rates being considered best in class, analysts caution that rising investor concerns regarding generative AI could pressure Figma's stock, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a competitive edge in an increasingly crowded market.
See More
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- Price Volatility Analysis: As of February 16, Shiba Inu (SHIB) has surged an astonishing 97,000% over the past five years, yet it currently trades 93% below its peak from October 2021, indicating significant price volatility and uncertainty.
- Market Potential Assessment: Should Shiba Inu's market cap increase by a factor of 100, it would reach $380 billion, comparable to valuations of notable companies like Home Depot, Bank of America, and Procter & Gamble; however, the likelihood of achieving this is extremely low.
- Lack of Utility: Despite having a metaverse, decentralized exchange, and Layer-2 scaling solutions, Shiba Inu's lack of real-world applications puts it at a disadvantage in attracting users compared to cryptocurrencies with deeper developer networks.
- Diminishing Community Enthusiasm: The significant drop in Shiba Inu's price from its historical peak reflects a waning community enthusiasm, suggesting that investors should approach this asset, which relies on unpredictable hype cycles, with caution.
See More
Shiba Inu Faces Declining Community Support
- Declining Community Support: Shiba Inu's price has plummeted 93% from its October 2021 peak, indicating a waning community support that could lead to decreased investor confidence and negatively impact its future market performance.
- Limited Investment Return Potential: Despite a staggering 97,000% increase over the past five years, analysts believe the future investment return potential for Shiba Inu is extremely low due to a lack of real-world applications and increasing competition, prompting investors to consider safer options.
- Intensifying Market Competition: As more cryptocurrencies with practical applications emerge, Shiba Inu faces fierce competition from other digital assets, which could further erode its market share and affect its long-term growth potential.
- Poor Investment Recommendation: Analysts have noted that Shiba Inu is not included in the current top ten recommended stocks, suggesting a diminishing appeal as an investment choice, and advising investors to consider more promising assets for long-term gains.
See More
Comparative Market Analysis: Bank of America vs. SoFi
- Bank of America Struggles: Despite Bank of America's stock rising over 50% in the past five years, it has declined by 3% this year, indicating short-term market weakness that may affect new investor confidence.
- SoFi's Rapid Growth: SoFi achieved a 40% year-over-year revenue growth in Q4 and secured its ninth consecutive quarter of profitability, with adjusted net income nearly tripling year-over-year, showcasing its strong performance in the fintech sector.
- Customer Base Expansion: SoFi added 1 million new customers in Q4, bringing its total to 13.7 million, reflecting the growing mainstream acceptance of online banking and further driving market share growth.
- Strong Product Demand: SoFi saw year-over-year increases of 33%, 28%, and 56% in bank account, investment account, and credit card openings, respectively, indicating rising popularity of its products that directly contribute to revenue and net income growth.
See More
