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No Shortage of Positive Retail Sector Surprises
Wal-Mart’s positive earnings report offers reassurance to those in the market that see the company’s hybrid physical store and ecommerce model as a differentiator in the broader space. This has improved the odds that Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT – Free Report) will be better able to compete in the emerging retail landscape following Amazon’s (NASDAQ:AMZN – Free Report) Whole Foods purchase. Sales in the company’s ecommerce business, in which it has been actively investing lately, were up +70% from the year-earlier period and contributed nicely to the +1.7% comp growth, the 12th quarter in a row of positive same-store sales growth.
The stock’s tepid reaction to the Q2 earnings results appears more a function of the run up this year than any weakness in the report. The stock is up +15.4% in the year-to-date period, outperforming the Zacks Retail sector (up +14.3%) and the S&P 500 index (+8.7%). As such, the positives were already priced in the stock, giving market participants a sell-the-news type of opportunity. This angle explains the market’s favorable reaction to the Target (NYSE:TGT – Free Report) results, which has been a laggard lately, with the stock down -22.4% in the year-to-date period.
Including all of these reports, we now have Q2 results from 31 of the 40 retailers in the S&P 500 index. This week brings results from Lowe’s (NYSE:LOW – Free Report), Dollar Tree (NASDAQ:DLTR – Free Report) and others. Total earnings for the 31 retailers that have reported already are down -0.8% from the same period last year on +4.8% higher revenues, with 77.4% beating EPS estimates and 80.6% beating revenue estimates.
Please note that we have a stand-alone Retail sector, unlike the official Standard & Poor’s placement of this space in the Consumer Discretionary sector. The Zacks Retail sector includes, besides the traditional department stores and other brick-and-mortar retailers, the online vendors like Amazon and Priceline and restaurant operators. Results from the online vendors and most of the restaurant operators typically come out in the first phase of each reporting cycle.
The aggregate growth pace from the 31 retailers that have reported results already are tracking below what we had seen from the same companies in other recent periods. A big contributor to the weak earnings growth showing this quarter is the -77% drop in Amazon’s earnings on +24.8% higher revenues. Excluding the Amazon drag, Q2 earnings for the sector would be up +3.1% on +3% higher revenues. This ex-Amazon growth picture compares relatively favorably with historical periods.
Unlike growth, positive surprises are as numerous in this sector as they have been in other sectors this earnings season. In fact, the proportion of retailers beating revenue estimates is the third highest of all 16 Zacks sectors in Q2 at 80.6%, behind only the Conglomerates (83.3%) Technology (85.2%) sectors.
Q2 Earnings Season Scorecard (as of Friday, August 18, 2017)
The Q2 earnings season has come to an end for 11 of the 16 Zacks sectors, with results from 474 S&P 500 members or 94.8% of the index’s total membership already out. Total earnings for these companies are up +10.6% from the same period last year on +5.6% higher revenues, with 74.9% beating EPS estimates and 68.4% beating revenue estimates.
About Zacks
Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978. The later formation of the Zacks Rank, a proprietary stock picking system; continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time!Register for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros.
Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates.
Zacks.com provides investment resources and informs you of these resources, which you may choose to use in making your own investment decisions. Zacks is providing information on this resource to you subject to the Zacks "Terms and Conditions of Service" disclaimer. www.zacks.com/disclaimer.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performancefor information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
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Wal-Mart, Amazon's, Target, Lowe's and Dollar Tree are part of Zacks Earnings Preview
For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL –August 21, 2017 – Zacks.com releases the list of companies likely to issue earnings surprises. This week’s list includes Wal-Mart (NYSE:(WMT - Free Report) – Free Report), Amazon’s (NASDAQ:AMZN – Free Report),Target (NYSE:TGT – Free Report), Lowe’s (NYSE:LOW – Free Report) and Dollar Tree (NASDAQ:DLTR – Free Report).
To see more earnings analysis, visit https://at.zacks.com/?id=3207.
Every day, Zacks.com makes their Bull Stock of the Day available, free of charge. To see it, click here.
No Shortage of Positive Retail Sector Surprises
Wal-Mart’s positive earnings report offers reassurance to those in the market that see the company’s hybrid physical store and ecommerce model as a differentiator in the broader space. This has improved the odds that Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT – Free Report) will be better able to compete in the emerging retail landscape following Amazon’s (NASDAQ:AMZN – Free Report) Whole Foods purchase. Sales in the company’s ecommerce business, in which it has been actively investing lately, were up +70% from the year-earlier period and contributed nicely to the +1.7% comp growth, the 12th quarter in a row of positive same-store sales growth.
The stock’s tepid reaction to the Q2 earnings results appears more a function of the run up this year than any weakness in the report. The stock is up +15.4% in the year-to-date period, outperforming the Zacks Retail sector (up +14.3%) and the S&P 500 index (+8.7%). As such, the positives were already priced in the stock, giving market participants a sell-the-news type of opportunity. This angle explains the market’s favorable reaction to the Target (NYSE:TGT – Free Report) results, which has been a laggard lately, with the stock down -22.4% in the year-to-date period.
Including all of these reports, we now have Q2 results from 31 of the 40 retailers in the S&P 500 index. This week brings results from Lowe’s (NYSE:LOW – Free Report), Dollar Tree (NASDAQ:DLTR – Free Report) and others. Total earnings for the 31 retailers that have reported already are down -0.8% from the same period last year on +4.8% higher revenues, with 77.4% beating EPS estimates and 80.6% beating revenue estimates.
Please note that we have a stand-alone Retail sector, unlike the official Standard & Poor’s placement of this space in the Consumer Discretionary sector. The Zacks Retail sector includes, besides the traditional department stores and other brick-and-mortar retailers, the online vendors like Amazon and Priceline and restaurant operators. Results from the online vendors and most of the restaurant operators typically come out in the first phase of each reporting cycle.
The aggregate growth pace from the 31 retailers that have reported results already are tracking below what we had seen from the same companies in other recent periods. A big contributor to the weak earnings growth showing this quarter is the -77% drop in Amazon’s earnings on +24.8% higher revenues. Excluding the Amazon drag, Q2 earnings for the sector would be up +3.1% on +3% higher revenues. This ex-Amazon growth picture compares relatively favorably with historical periods.
Unlike growth, positive surprises are as numerous in this sector as they have been in other sectors this earnings season. In fact, the proportion of retailers beating revenue estimates is the third highest of all 16 Zacks sectors in Q2 at 80.6%, behind only the Conglomerates (83.3%) Technology (85.2%) sectors.
Q2 Earnings Season Scorecard (as of Friday, August 18, 2017)
The Q2 earnings season has come to an end for 11 of the 16 Zacks sectors, with results from 474 S&P 500 members or 94.8% of the index’s total membership already out. Total earnings for these companies are up +10.6% from the same period last year on +5.6% higher revenues, with 74.9% beating EPS estimates and 68.4% beating revenue estimates.
About Zacks
Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978. The later formation of the Zacks Rank, a proprietary stock picking system; continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time!Register for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros.
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Zacks.com provides investment resources and informs you of these resources, which you may choose to use in making your own investment decisions. Zacks is providing information on this resource to you subject to the Zacks "Terms and Conditions of Service" disclaimer. www.zacks.com/disclaimer.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performancefor information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.