ZACKS·2026-02-28 00:10Core Insights - The focus on earnings remains in the retail sector, with major companies like Target, Best Buy, and Costco set to report results this week [1] - Recent earnings releases indicate stable consumer spending trends, although cumulative inflation poses challenges, particularly for lower-income groups [2] - Discretionary spending categories have shown weakness post-COVID, but Walmart's recent results suggest some improvement [3] Retail Performance - Target shares have performed well this year, up 15.6%, outperforming Walmart's 15% rise and the broader market's 0.6% gain [5] - Target is expected to report earnings of $2.17 per share on revenues of $30.52 billion, reflecting year-over-year declines of 10% and 1.3% respectively [6] - Best Buy is anticipated to report EPS of $2.48 on revenues of $13.91 billion, with year-over-year changes of -3.9% and -0.3% [7] Earnings Season Overview - 481 S&P 500 members have reported Q4 results, showing earnings up 15.1% on 9.4% higher revenues, with 74.8% beating EPS estimates [9][16] - Among 22 retailers in the S&P 500 that have reported, total Q4 earnings are up 6.9% from the previous year, with 50% beating EPS estimates, the lowest in the last five years [13][14] - Amazon's Q4 earnings were up 5.9% on 13.6% higher revenues, despite missing EPS and revenue expectations [15] Future Expectations - Estimates for the current period (2026 Q1) have recently declined after earlier increases [26] - The overall earnings picture suggests double-digit growth is expected in 2025 and 2026 [27]