The fate of the global equity market rally now comes down to China. Will it continue to stockpile hard assets? Will the data points continue to soothe and impress? Much is at stake either way…  

This holiday season will be a “bloodbath” for retailers, according to Marc Lichtenfeld. But there are still some companies that will dodge the downtrend. Marc says Kohl’s (NYSE:KSS), Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) and Dollar Tree (Nasdaq:DLTR) are well placed to weather the crisis. And they could even benefit from the demise of the competition.

Even the strongest retail brands are suffering heavy losses as consumers flock to low-cost stores. Andrew Snyder says this spells doom for Under Armour (NYSE:UA). The company has a strong marketing strategy, but its sales estimates are too optimistic for a retailer of expensive niche clothing. Andrew says the stock is overvalued right now, creating a good chance for a profitable short play.

Electronics retailer Best Buy (NYSE:BBY) slashed its full-year outlook today, saying it was “the most difficult climate we’ve ever seen.” But Paul Moore says Best Buy isn’t likely to head the same way as mismanaged Circuit City (NYSE:CC). In fact, BBY should even get a lift from the bankruptcy of its main rival just before the holiday season.

With the economy eroding at an alarming pace, it is no wonder investors are turning away from their former retail haunts filled with trendy, over-priced items.

Stores like Whole Foods (NASDAQ:WFMI) and Trader Joes are watching their customers head to low-cost competitors like Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) and Safeway (NYSE:SWY).

It is no surprise to see an ultra-cheap retailer like 99 Cents Only Stores (NYSE:NDN) climb its way to the sole spot on the list of companies reaching 52-week highs today. The global economic crisis has actually been the best thing to happen to the company’s share price in a long time.

The rationale behind the positive run is obvious. When the economy is in the gutter, consumers have less money to spend on the things…

Money Map Report editor Horacio Marquez says Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) is a bargain at today’s prices. The company continues to grow and diversify, and will keep gaining market share for its products. However, a consumption slowdown and tough competition means caution is essential when building up a position.

US retailer Target Corp. (NYSE:TGT) is considering offloading $20 billion in real estate holdings. This will enable the company to focus on its core strategic operations, says Andrew Snyder. And that makes it easier for investors to analyse the business. Andrew expects Target’s stock to jump if this sale is given the go ahead.

As Wall Street falls deeper into a black hole of its own making there’s a glimmer of hope for the economy in lower gas prices.

Lower gas prices, the theory goes, should translate into a bump in spending. This would be a big boon to the retail sector in the run-up to the Christmas buying season.

Andrew Gordon is skeptical of this analysis. He says the real savings per household will be too small to make any real difference to consumer spending, even though he expects gas prices to continue their fall.

Despite falling commodity prices, producer and consumer inflation are rising. Add to this low consumer confidence and you get bad news for the retail sector, says Rick Pendergraft in Investor’s Daily Edge. Rick recommends steering well clear of retailers right now…

When gold was going for $300 an ounce and oil for $25 a barrel, it was easy to know where to put your money.