Retail & Wholesale

Walmart has updated its capital expenditure projections for fiscal 2016. It expects to spend $12.4 billion in fiscal 2016, in the middle of the $11.6–$12.9 billion guidance range provided earlier.

The average store-only shopper spends ~$1,400 per year at Walmart, while the online-only shopper spends ~$200.

The retail customer accounts for about 70% of Lowe’s sales. However, retail customers account for about two-thirds of Home Depot’s (HD) customer base.

On May 12, 2017, Walmart (WMT) was trading at a 12-month forward PE multiple of 17.5x.

Total retail jewelry sales in the US grew at a CAGR of 4.4%, reaching $74.7 billion in 2014. Fine jewelry sales grew at a CAGR of 5%, reaching ~$69 billion.

Amazon’s revenue growth at its Media segment has declined dramatically over the last few quarters. Its international business growth has also disappointed.

As of July 13, 15 analysts covering JCPenney (JCP) stock have a “hold” rating. Seven analysts have a “buy” rating, while two analysts have a “sell” rating.

The majority of analysts covering Target (TGT) remain neutral on the stock.

Lowe’s (LOW) expects the Rona (RON.TO) transaction to be accretive to its earnings per share or EPS from the very first year after the acquisition.

If you're considering a Costco membership, here's what each membership level gets you and whether it's worth it.

As Walgreens' earnings report approaches, the company has stepped up its efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic by offering free testing.

Etsy is an e-commerce marketplace and community for unique and one-of-a-kind goods. It's the go-to website for individuals looking for original gifts.

Who are Alibaba’s founders? Tech entrepreneur Jack Ma started the company that is now Alibaba Group with his wife and 16 friends.

Alibaba is a Chinese technology company that specializes in retail, e-commerce, internet, and technology. Is Alibaba stock a good buy?

Etsy is a great place for individuals to sell and buy homemade and vintage items, but how does the company make money?

Allegion provides security solutions for homes and businesses, employing more than 8,000 people and selling products in more than 120 countries across the world. Allegion reported third-quarter 2014 net revenues of $546.7 million, up 3.3% compared to the previous year.

Costco (COST) continues to generate an industry-leading comparable-store sales growth rate despite increased competition and rivals ramping up their digital platforms.

Abbott Laboratories (ABT) is a brand new position that accounts for 1.19% of Chilton’s fourth quarter 2013 portfolio.

As of July 7, 2016, Amazon (AMZN) had generated returns of 68.7% in the trailing-12-month period and 1.8% in the trailing-one-month period.

Activist investor JANA Partners sold a 20% stake in the firm to Neuberger Berman’s Dyal Capital Partners. Dyal holds a passive interest in JANA Partners.

Target (TGT) sustained its sales momentum in the fiscal first quarter. The company’s growth measures have started to hold ground.

China’s controversial Hong Kong national security law could be a nightmare for US tech companies. Overall, the law would give China more power.

Beyond Meat (NASDAQ:BYND) wants to expand in the Chinese market. The company will offer Beyond Burgers in Alibaba’s (NYSE:BABA) Freshippo stores.

Today, CNBC reported that Walmart (NYSE:WMT) has acquired prescription management technology from CareZone to boost its pharmacy space.

Alibaba has been working to diversify its business beyond commerce. The company entered the digital media and cloud computing markets.

So far this year, Home Depot and Lowe’s have outperformed the broader equity markets. They have returned 16.7% and 9.4% YTD.

In the first quarter of 2020, activist hedge fund manager Bill Ackman made a windfall profit of $2 billion. He was short on the market in March 2020.

Today, Lowe’s reported its first-quarter earnings, which ended on May 1. The company reported an adjusted EPS of $1.77 on revenues of $19.68 billion.

So far in 2020, Bill Ackman’s timing has been impeccable. He made over $2 billion by shorting stocks as US stock markets crashed in the first quarter.

Telsey Advisory Group upgraded Big Lots from “market perform” to “outperform.” The firm also increased its 12-month target price from $20 to $31.

As of April 9, Home Depot was trading at 20.1x analysts’ 2020 EPS estimate of $10.04 and at 18.3x analysts’ 2021 EPS estimate of $11.02.

Domino’s Pizza (NYSE:DPZ) stock fell in the pre-market session on March 31. The restaurant chain pulled its guidance due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Lately, Apple stock has been hit hard. The coronavirus outbreak disrupted the global supply chain and dented the demand and supply of the company’s iPhones.

Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU) stock rose 0.51% on Wednesday to $96.92, which its gains this week to 9.3%. Still, Baidu is going for a steep discount.

The defensive nature of Procter & Gamble stock and its strong dividends make it a good buy in a challenging market environment.

Analysts are optimistic about Walmart (NYSE:WMT) even though the US stock market crashed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Last week, eBay stock recorded one of its biggest single-day gains in 2020. The company announced that it completed the sale of its StubHub business.

Baidu has successfully launched a public beta version of Xuperchain. It’s the first of its kind: a cryptocurrency that operates on a centralized network.

Warren Buffett underperformed the stock markets last year. Berkshire Hathaway’s returns versus the S&P 500 were the worst since 2009.

To diversify its business outside the advertising market, Alphabet is building several startup businesses in its Other Bets segment.