Holiday shopping season kicked off stronger than expected, according to the long-overdue retail-sales data that just dropped. The report paints a picture of consumer spending holding its ground, which is exactly what markets had been waiting to see. This kind of retail momentum typically signals underlying economic resilience—something worth paying attention to if you're tracking macro trends. Whether this consumer strength can sustain into Q1 will likely influence everything from Fed policy expectations to broader risk-asset appetite. Pretty solid news for risk sentiment overall.