Consumers are buying higher-priced drinks, pickup trucks and more — a signal from corporate America that the economy appears to be chugging along just fine.

Why it matters: These anecdotes from the nation's biggest brands carry more weight in the absence of official government data, delayed for the foreseeable future as the shutdown drags on.

What they're saying: Consumer spending "has been remarkably resilient ... ultimately this is driving a sound economy," PNC CEO Bill Demchak said last week. • "We've got a whole bunch of things that could land on us, but none of them are there — and none of them are certain," Demchak said after noting that consumer deposits keep growing.

The big picture: Some of the nation's biggest brands and economic bellwethers are reporting strong sales. That

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