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As a winter storm rolling through the Midwest hits post-Christmas travelers this weekend, a toasty jacket is a necessity. Indeed, this time of the year is the best-selling season for Canada Goose Holdings, a 62-year-old brand known for luxury winter parkas that typically cost around $1,000.

But Canada Goose faces a chronic problem that’s become increasingly difficult to ignore. The company’s signature parkas are stuffed with goose down and trimmed with coyote fur, and have long been a target of animal-rights activists. Earlier this year, the Federal Trade Commission investigated the company over advertising claims that the materials were sourced ethically, then backed off for now. A Daily Beast article even suggested that owning a Canada Goose coat might put off potential dating partners.

The company said it makes “function-first apparel” and is committed to ”ethical sourcing and responsible use of all animal materials in our products.”

The stock tumbled earlier this month after DA Davidson analyst John Morris suggested Canada Goose jacket prices are getting marked down this holiday season, a claim the company has denied. For the December quarter, Wall Street is expecting only 12% year-over-year growth in sales—its slowest quarterly growth since the company went public in 2017. The shares have shed nearly half of their value from their all-time high in November 2018.

To boost sales, the company is adding more furless coats and items like sweaters. Still, Canada Goose may resist abandoning coyote pelts that are so identified with its brand. They’re warm, too.

Next Week

Monday 12/30

The Institute for Supply Management releases its Chicago Purchasing Managers’ Index for December. Economists forecast a 48.3 reading, up from November’s 46.3. If estimates prove correct, it would be the fourth consecutive monthly reading below the expansionary level of 50, and a steep decline from December 2018’s 63.8 figure.

The National Association of Realtors reports its Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, for November. Consensus estimates are for a 1.3% gain after a 1.7% drop in October.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas releases its Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey for December. Expectations are for a reading of one after two straight months of negative data.

Tuesday 12/31

The Conference Board reports its Consumer Confidence Index for December. Economists forecast a 128.1 reading, up from November’s 125.5. An uptick in the index would reverse a four-month decline from this year’s peak reading in July.

S&P CoreLogic releases its Case-Shiller 20-City Home Price Index for October. Consensus estimates are for a 2.1% year-over-year gain, which would match the September data.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency reports its Housing Price Index for October. Expectations are for a 0.4% rise in the seasonally adjusted monthly index after a 0.6% gain in September. According to the FHFA, for the 12 months through September, the largest jumps in home prices were concentrated in the West. The markets in Boise, Idaho; Tucson, Ariz.; and Honolulu were the three largest gainers, with housing-price appreciation of 9.9% to 11.1%. The weakest growth came in the Northeast, as the region had nine of the bottom 20 housing markets nationally.

Wednesday 1/1

Japan’s stock market is closed for the remainder of the week.

Thursday 1/2

The Department of Labor reports initial jobless claims for the week ending on Dec. 28. The four-week average of claims is 228,000.

Friday 1/3

The Federal Open Market Committee releases minutes from its December monetary-policy meeting.

The Institute for Supply Management releases its Manufacturing PMI for December. Economists forecast a 49 reading. It would be the index’s fifth consecutive monthly reading below 50; before that, the last one was in August 2016.

The Census Bureau reports construction-spending data for November. Consensus estimates are for a 0.3% gain to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.3 trillion.

Write to Evie Liu at evie.liu@barrons.com