The American consumer, a bedrock of economic prosperity, is showing increasing signs of caution, with dwindling confidence and moderated spending growth signaling potential headwinds for the broader economy. Recent data from the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment survey paints a picture of a populace grappling with persistent inflation, a softening
Generating cash is essential for any business, but not all cash-rich companies are great investments.
Some produce plenty of cash but fail to allocate it effectively, leading to missed opportunities.
Not all profitable companies are built to last - some rely on outdated models or unsustainable advantages.
Just because a business is in the green today doesn’t mean it will thrive tomorrow.
Looking back on department store stocks’ Q4 earnings, we examine this quarter’s best and worst performers, including Nordstrom (NYSE:JWN) and its peers.
Retailers are evolving to meet the expectations of modern, tech-savvy shoppers. But many seem to be moving too slowly as their demand is lagging, causing the industry to underperform the market -
over the past six months, retail stocks have shed 13.6%. This drawdown was worse than the S&P 500’s 5.1% loss.
When Wall Street turns bearish on a stock, it’s worth paying attention.
These calls stand out because analysts rarely issue grim ratings on companies for fear their firms will lose out in other business lines such as M&A advisory.
What has Wall Street been buzzing about this week? Here is a quick look at the top 5 buy calls and the top 5 sell calls made by Wall Street's best analysts during the trading week of March 31-April 4, 2025.
The SPDR S&P Retail ETF (NYSE: XRT) is trading lower Tuesday as retail and apparel stocks fall following weak consumer spending data and poor earnings reports.
Nordstrom surpassed earnings expectations in its fourth quarter of 2024, driven by effective cost management and digital sales growth, despite inventory and expense challenges.
Luxury department store chain Nordstrom (NYSE:JWN) beat Wall Street’s revenue expectations in Q4 CY2024, but sales fell by 2.2% year on year to $4.32 billion. Its non-GAAP profit of $1.10 per share was 18.6% above analysts’ consensus estimates.
Retailers are overhauling their operations as technology redefines the shopping experience. Still, secular trends are working against their favor as e-commerce continues to take share from brick and mortars.
This puts retail stocks in a tough spot, and over the past six months, the industry’s returns were flat while the S&P 500 gained 9%.
As the Q3 earnings season wraps, let’s dig into this quarter’s best and worst performers in the department store industry, including Dillard's (NYSE:DDS) and its peers.
