Factory output just hit a 15-month low, and retail sales are posting their weakest numbers since zero-COVID restrictions ended. Pretty telling, right? The data's laying bare that existing growth engines aren't cutting it anymore. As we head into 2026, the question everyone's asking is the same—what actually drives the next wave? For traders and investors watching macro cycles, this kind of slowdown often reshapes where capital flows. New catalysts always emerge; the market's just waiting to spot them.