Retail Earnings Loom: What to Expect

Walmart (WMT) shares held their own in last month’s market weakness, cementing its anchoring and defensive positioning, particularly relative to Target (TGT) and Home Depot (HD) .From the market’s March 28th peak through the end of April 2024, the S&P 500 index lost -3.8% of its value, while Walmart was down only -1.4%. Target lost -9.2% of its value during that same period, while Home Depot shares were down -12.9%.Walmart’s defensive attributes reflect the retailer’s heavy grocery exposure and reputation f ...