Equity markets extended their gains on Wednesday following a better-than-expected Retail Sales figure and healthy reports from retailers Target and The TJX Companies. Both produced substantial bottom-line strength, although the causes were different. In the case of TJX Companies, sales traffic led to revenue growth and margin leverage, while Target leaned into discounts to reduce inventory. The takeaway is that consumers remain resilient if price-conscious and in search of bargains.

The S&P 500 advanced about 0.5% at the session high, but weakness started to show; by the end of the session, the market was trading near break-even. The day's candle stick formation is a small spinning top with a visible upper shadow that reveals resistance below critical levels. Because the market is overbought at current levels and trading within an established range, it will likely sell off soon without another catalyst to drive it higher. The earnings season is all but over, and there are no major economic reports due until after the Thanksgiving Holiday so another catalyst may be hard to come by.