CEOs warn lower-income US consumers are running out of money

Earnings
โดย Moneywise·US·Read original
Summary · why it matters

CEOs from Kraft Heinz, McDonald's, and Whirlpool are warning that lower-income American consumers are running out of money at the end of the month. Kraft Heinz CEO Steve Cahillane said the company is seeing negative cash flows in lower-income brackets, with consumers dipping into savings, and the company is cutting prices, increasing promotions, and rolling out smaller package sizes. McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski flagged heightened anxiety among consumers, while CFO Ian Borden noted higher gas prices are hitting lower-income households especially hard. Whirlpool CEO Marc Bitzer described a sharp pullback in demand for big-ticket appliances, with discretionary demand down roughly 15%. Credit card balances stood at $1.25 trillion in the first quarter of 2026, auto loan balances climbed to $1.69 trillion, and the personal saving rate fell to just 2.7% in June.

Impact on stocks 5

Consumer Discretionary▼ · 3 stocks
McDonald’s Corporation
MCD
▼ NegativeDemandrelevance

Consumer anxiety and higher gas prices hurting lower-income households, impacting McDonald's sales.

Whirlpool Corporation
WHR
▼ NegativeDemandrelevance

Sharp pullback in demand for big-ticket appliances, discretionary demand down 15%.

Consumer Staples▼ · 1 stocks
The Kraft Heinz Company
KHC
▼ NegativeDemandrelevance

Lower-income consumers running out of money, cutting spending on Kraft Heinz products.

Others▲ · 1 stocks
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