By Sarina Trangle
Publication Date: 2026-05-10 10:00:00
Credit: John Keeble / Getty Images
This week will delve into the state of the American spender, with updates on inflation and retail spending and earnings from several consumer goods companies.
The the Consumer Price Index for April, due Tuesday, will offer the latest indication of how the prices paid by consumers are changing, with energy likely to be a closely watched category. The March CPI report a more-than-20% jump in energy prices, though it didn’t trigger a jump in other prices. Oil, gas and diesel prices have surged as the war limits access to the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway typically used to transport one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supply.
Americans initially weathered $4.50 gas prices relatively well. Consumers spent 15.5% more at gas stations in March than in February, but had enough left over to fuel sales growth in several other retail categories. But there have since…
