Geopolitics Alpha

Shoe Prices, Material Costs and Tariffs Are Top of Mind for the Industry: Can a New Congress Help Ease Concerns?

Published . Updated .

Key takeaways

  • U.S.
  • Exposed: XLI, XRT, CAT, DE, WMT
  • Market reaction: XRT +5.5% on the day; XLI −1.1% on the day; CAT −5.2% on the day

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Shoe Prices, Material Costs and Tariffs Are Top of Mind for the Industry: Can a New Congress Help Ease Concerns?

U.S. 2026 midterm election results show that consumers remained focused on the economy, with tariffs raising the cost of basics such as footwear.

Directly affected

  • No company is named in this report.

Indirectly affected

  • XLI Industrial Select Sector SPDR

    Industrial Select Sector SPDR: it holds companies hit by import costs and trade rules. Linked by “tariff” (tariffs and trade) in this story.

  • XRT SPDR S&P Retail ETF

    SPDR S&P Retail ETF: it holds companies hit by import costs and trade rules. Linked by “tariff” (tariffs and trade) in this story.

  • CAT Caterpillar

    Caterpillar (construction machinery and equip): importers and exporters pay or lose sales when tariffs change. Linked by “tariff” (tariffs and trade) in this story.

  • DE Deere

    Deere (farm machinery and equipment): importers and exporters pay or lose sales when tariffs change. Linked by “tariff” (tariffs and trade) in this story.

  • WMT Walmart

    Walmart (variety stores): importers and exporters pay or lose sales when tariffs change. Linked by “tariff” (tariffs and trade) in this story.

  • NKE Nike

    Nike (rubber and plastics footwear): importers and exporters pay or lose sales when tariffs change. Linked by “tariff” (tariffs and trade) in this story.

  • AMZN Amazon.com

    Amazon.com (catalog and mail-order houses): retailers move with shopper spending and import costs. Linked by “consumer” (retail and consumer goods) in this story.

  • COST Costco Wholesale

    Costco Wholesale (variety stores): retailers move with shopper spending and import costs. Linked by “consumer” (retail and consumer goods) in this story.

Price reaction, T-5 to T+3

TickerT-5T-3T-1T0T+1T+2T+3
XLI-1.66%-2.29%base-1.11%after closeafter closeafter close
XRT-2.30%-0.06%base+5.53%after closeafter closeafter close
CAT+14.53%-0.17%base-5.22%after closeafter closeafter close
DE-3.81%+1.40%base+1.42%after closeafter closeafter close
WMT-4.79%-1.04%base+4.22%after closeafter closeafter close
NKE-3.40%+0.56%base+5.20%after closeafter closeafter close
AMZN+1.58%-4.14%base+6.15%after closeafter closeafter close
COST-3.61%-0.67%base+2.66%after closeafter closeafter close

Closing-price change versus T-1, the last close before the story. T0 to T+3 fill in after each market close. Prices: Alpaca IEX.

Shoe Prices, Material Costs and Tariffs Are Top of Mind for the Industry: Can a New Congress Help Ease Concerns? WWD

Source: WWD

Price since this story was published: Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLI)

CompanyWhenMoveStatus
AMZNthat day+6.15%final price
AMZNthree days earlier-4.14%final price
AMZNfive days earlier+1.58%final price
Caterpillar (CAT)that day-5.22%final price
Caterpillar (CAT)three days earlier-0.17%final price
Caterpillar (CAT)five days earlier+14.53%final price
COSTthat day+2.66%final price
COSTthree days earlier-0.67%final price
COSTfive days earlier-3.61%final price
Deere (DE)that day+1.42%final price
Deere (DE)three days earlier+1.40%final price
Deere (DE)five days earlier-3.81%final price
Nike (NKE)that day+5.20%final price
Nike (NKE)three days earlier+0.56%final price
Nike (NKE)five days earlier-3.40%final price
Walmart (WMT)that day+4.22%final price
Walmart (WMT)three days earlier-1.04%final price
Walmart (WMT)five days earlier-4.79%final price
Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLI)that day-1.11%final price
Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLI)three days earlier-2.29%final price
Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLI)five days earlier-1.66%final price
Spdr Series Trust (XRT)that day+5.53%final price
Spdr Series Trust (XRT)three days earlier-0.06%final price
Spdr Series Trust (XRT)five days earlier-2.30%final price

Trades by members of Congress and officials in the stocks in this story

Public disclosure filings, not a recommendation. The filing link is the source document. News use of these reports still sits under 5 U.S.C. § 13107(c).

Who gains and who loses around Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLI)

Companies carried with this story

  • XLI Select Sector Spdr Tr

    In “Shoe Prices, Material Costs and Tariffs Are Top of Mind for the Industry: Can a New Congress Help Ease Concerns?,” Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLI) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: Industrial Select Sector SPDR: it holds companies hit by import costs and trade rules. Linked by “tariff” (tariffs and trade) in this story

  • XRT Spdr Series Trust

    Spdr Series Trust (XRT) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 4 Nov 2026 story “Shoe Prices, Material Costs and Tariffs Are Top of Mind for the Industry: Can a New Congress Help Ease Concerns?.” Reason on file: SPDR S&P Retail ETF: it holds companies hit by import costs and trade rules. Linked by “tariff” (tariffs and trade) in this story

  • CAT Caterpillar

    Caterpillar (CAT) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 4 Nov 2026 story “Shoe Prices, Material Costs and Tariffs Are Top of Mind for the Industry: Can a New Congress Help Ease Concerns?.” Reason on file: Caterpillar (construction machinery and equip): importers and exporters pay or lose sales when tariffs change. Linked by “tariff” (tariffs and trade) in this story

  • DE Deere

    Deere (DE) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 4 Nov 2026 story “Shoe Prices, Material Costs and Tariffs Are Top of Mind for the Industry: Can a New Congress Help Ease Concerns?.” Reason on file: Deere (farm machinery and equipment): importers and exporters pay or lose sales when tariffs change. Linked by “tariff” (tariffs and trade) in this story

  • WMT Walmart

    Walmart (WMT) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 4 Nov 2026 story “Shoe Prices, Material Costs and Tariffs Are Top of Mind for the Industry: Can a New Congress Help Ease Concerns?.” Reason on file: Walmart (variety stores): importers and exporters pay or lose sales when tariffs change. Linked by “tariff” (tariffs and trade) in this story

  • NKE Nike

    Nike (NKE) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 4 Nov 2026 story “Shoe Prices, Material Costs and Tariffs Are Top of Mind for the Industry: Can a New Congress Help Ease Concerns?.” Reason on file: Nike (rubber and plastics footwear): importers and exporters pay or lose sales when tariffs change. Linked by “tariff” (tariffs and trade) in this story

Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLI)

On 4 Nov 2026, “Shoe Prices, Material Costs and Tariffs Are Top of Mind for the Industry: Can a New Congress Help Ease Concerns?” is the story that connects Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLI) to this story.

What ties Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLI) to the headline is this: Industrial Select Sector SPDR: it holds companies hit by import costs and trade rules. Linked by “tariff” (tariffs and trade) in this story

A second company, Spdr Series Trust (XRT), is listed for a different reason: SPDR S&P Retail ETF: it holds companies hit by import costs and trade rules. Linked by “tariff” (tariffs and trade) in this story

Dates and price levels for Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLI)

CAT traded between 609.97 and 844.69 across 20 sessions. The latest close on file is 623.81. XLI traded between 163.00 and 172.33 across 20 sessions. The latest close on file is 169.73.

What the saved facts support for Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLI)

46 out of 100

“Shoe Prices, Material Costs and Tariffs Are Top of Mind for the Industry: Can a New Congress Help Ease Concerns?” scores 46 out of 100. The score uses 1 sources, and 6 linked companies.