US consumers look resilient despite higher prices for gas, Halloween candy, and more

There's an old adage in investing that goes something like this: Don't bet against the US consumer's propensity to spend.

After all the excitement over the Anthropic ( ANTH.PVT ) IPO prospectus dropping this week, I think the Federal Reserve decision today will bring some focus back to the state of the economy and, by extension, some focus on how the US consumer is faring amid higher prices for gas, Halloween candy , medical expenses, and winter clothing, among other inflationary categories.

I would sum up what I am seeing from consumers right now as remarkable resilience.

Coca-Cola ( KO ) has pushed through commodity-based price increases , yet Coke Zero sales increased 16% in the third quarter. Though new Coke CEO Henrique Braun did sound a touch measured about the consumer in an interview on Yahoo Finance.

It's not getting any cheaper to stay at a Hilton ( HLT ) property, yet its third quarter earnings release this week showed strong spending on rooms .

Delta ( DAL ) said earlier this month that it's continuing to see strength in premium seats and upgrades.

Visa ( V ) said last night that fiscal fourth quarter sales rose 13% from the prior year. Initial guidance for fiscal year 2027 highlighted the potential for double-digit sales growth.

"Growth across consumer spend bands remained relatively consistent with prior quarters, with the highest spend band continuing to grow the fastest. We did not see signs of the lower-spend consumer weakening in our volumes," Visa CFO Chris Suh said on the earnings call.

SoFi ( SOFI ) blew investors away with its third quarter results , fourth quarter outlook, and first crack at 2027 guidance. It feels so confident in its business that it also released bullish 2030 guidance.

This quarter "says that the consumer is very strong," SoFi CEO Anthony Noto told Yahoo Finance . "We saw strong demand for our products. Our credit performance was very solid. The spending that we saw in SoFi money and debit spending was very strong as well as credit spending. We saw good inflows in the investment business where people are looking to put money to work to help them accomplish their objectives. So I would say the consumer has been very stable and strong."

If you are looking for reasons for the surprisingly strong upside moves in Target ( TGT ) and Macy's ( M ) stock in recent months, this consumer resilience is why. Even Walmart's ( WMT ) stock has come alive and is up 11% in a month.

Maybe think twice about betting against the US consumer this holiday season.

Follow Brian Sozzi on X @BrianSozzi , Instagram , and LinkedIn . Tips on stories? Email him at brian.sozzi@yahoofinance.com.