Core Viewpoint - Realty Income is highlighted as a reliable dividend stock with a yield of 5.5%, which is one percentage point higher than the average for real estate stocks, and it has a consistent history of dividend payments [11]. Company Overview - Realty Income operates a vast portfolio, leasing over 15,600 properties across the U.S., U.K., and Europe to more than 1,600 clients, ensuring a diversified and stable income stream [6]. - The company boasts an occupancy rate of over 98%, with tenants spanning more than 90 industries, which mitigates risks associated with industry-specific downturns [6]. Sector Breakdown - The company's annualized contractual rent is distributed across various sectors, including: - Grocery stores: 10.7% - Convenience stores: 9.8% - Home improvement: 6.4% - Dollar stores: 6.2% - Fast-food restaurants: 4.9% - Drug stores: 4.6% - Automotive service: 4.3% [7]. Investment Characteristics - Realty Income is classified as a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT), which allows it to avoid federal corporate income tax by distributing at least 90% of its profits to shareholders, resulting in above-average dividends [10]. - The company has issued its 662nd consecutive monthly dividend and has increased its dividend every quarter for over 27 years, showcasing its commitment to consistent returns [11]. Financial Performance - In the second quarter, Realty Income reported revenue of $1.41 billion, an increase from $1.34 billion year-over-year, although net income decreased to $196.9 million from $256.6 million [12]. - The stock has appreciated by 10% year-to-date, outperforming the S&P 500's return of 9%, and is projected to provide a total return of 12.5% in 2025 [12].

Group 1 - Walmart's former U.S. CEO Bill Simon finds the recent 4.5% stock drop surprising despite the company raising its full-year sales and earnings forecast, indicating strong performance [1][2] - Simon emphasizes Walmart's ability to attract customers with lower prices while managing tariff impacts, viewing this as a significant competitive advantage [1][2] - The stock decline may be attributed to Walmart's first earnings miss in over three years, primarily due to one-time expenses like restructuring costs, which Simon believes do not indicate a systemic issue [3] Group 2 - Simon notes that Walmart's decision to raise guidance despite tariff challenges is a positive sign for investors, suggesting that there is no significant tariff impact on the business [2][3] - He highlights the ongoing appeal of Walmart's low prices and convenience, asserting that if the company can maintain its revenue growth, it will continue to be a formidable player in the market [4] - Year-to-date, Walmart shares have increased by 8%, although they remain approximately 7% below the record high reached on February 14 [4]

Core Viewpoint - Walmart's earnings report reflects the ongoing impact of tariffs on its financial performance, with solid revenue growth but a miss on earnings per share, indicating challenges in maintaining margins [1][2]. Financial Performance - Walmart reported revenue of $177.4 billion, exceeding expectations, but earnings per share (EPS) were $0.68, falling short of the $0.74 consensus [2]. - Same-store sales in the U.S. increased by 4.6% year over year, indicating organic growth rather than just expansion through new store openings [5]. Impact of Tariffs - The company identified tariffs as a primary challenge affecting its earnings, alongside legal charges and restructuring costs [2]. - CFO John David Rainey noted that Walmart is absorbing some tariff costs but has had to pass on some costs to consumers in other areas, indicating a mixed approach to managing rising prices [3]. Market Reaction - Following the earnings report, Walmart's shares fell by 4.9%, reflecting investor concerns amid broader market losses and anticipation of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's upcoming speech [1]. Investment Perspective - Despite the challenges posed by tariffs and margin pressures, Walmart is viewed as a cash-flow powerhouse and a solid addition to investment portfolios due to its consumer staple status [5].

Market Performance - The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down more than 100 points or 0.3% [7] - The S&P 500 is down about 26 points or 0.4% [7] - The Nasdaq Composite is down about 0.3% [7] - The Nasdaq 100 is down about 0.5% [7] - The Russell 2000 finished up 0.2% [8] - It's the sixth straight day of declines [8] Earnings and Revenue - Intuit's fourth quarter adjusted EPS was $2.75, beating the consensus estimate of $2.66 [9] - Intuit's net revenue was $3.83 billion [10] - Intuit sees 2026 revenue of $21 billion to $21.19 billion [10] - Ross Stores' comp sales grew about 2%, in line with expectations but half of the year-ago period [12] - Ross Stores' EPS came in at $1.56, beating the Street's expectation of $1.53 [12] - Workday's second quarter adjusted earnings per share came in above estimate [15] - Workday's second quarter revenue matched estimates [15] - Zoom's second quarter adjusted EPS of $1.53 topped the consensus estimate of $1.38 [23] - Zoom's second quarter revenue was $1.22 billion, slightly beating the expected $1.2 billion [23] - Zoom sees full year revenue of $4.83 billion to $4.84 billion [23] - Zoom's full year free cash flow will be at least $1.74 billion [24] Company Specific News - Workday signed a definitive agreement to acquire Paradox [15] - Paramount Skydance is under scrutiny from House Democrats regarding their merger [19] - Select quote surged after reporting positive adjusted EBITDA in the first quarter [20] - Walmart's profit missed expectations for the first time in three years [25] - Coty shares are down 22%, the worst daily performance since March 2020, after forecasting steep sales declines [27] - Cracker Barrel's stock declined after changing its logo [29]

report today after the bell. That stock in the red as we head into the close as well. Joining me now is TD Cowen senior retail analyst John Kernen John.It's good to have you here. What's the setup. I mean into Ross and the remainder of retail season.We've obviously heard from Walmart also of course heard from TJX a few days ago or a couple of days ago. So how do things look from here. >> Yeah, sure.Broadly, retailers and consumers are showing decent strength as we head into the fall. We're almost through Q2 ...

Core Viewpoint - Walmart, Inc. reported its first earnings miss in three years, leading to a decline in stock prices, influenced by CEO Doug McMillon's warnings about the negative impact of tariffs on the company's financial performance [1][2]. Financial Performance - Walmart's stock was down 5.02% at $97.42 following the earnings report [5]. - The company has experienced a continuous increase in costs, which is expected to persist into the third and fourth quarters [2]. Consumer Behavior - While overall consumer spending has not significantly changed, some middle and lower-income families have reduced purchases of discretionary items that have seen price increases due to tariffs [3]. Cost Management - Walmart has managed to absorb most of the increased costs, passing only 4% to 5% of these expenses onto consumers, which has been crucial for maintaining competitive pricing [3]. Supply Chain Strategy - The company has successfully diversified its supply chain, shifting 30% of its China-sourced items to countries like Vietnam, Mexico, and India, which has helped mitigate the impact of tariffs [4]. - Despite these efforts, Walmart anticipates an increase in tariff-related costs in the second half of the year [4]. Pricing Strategy - McMillon emphasized the company's commitment to keeping prices low for as long as possible despite tariff-related cost pressures [4].

Core Insights - Walmart Inc. reported second-quarter fiscal 2026 results, with total revenues of $177.4 billion, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $175.5 billion, while adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of 68 cents missed the estimate of 73 cents [1][3][11] - The company raised its fiscal 2026 net sales and adjusted EPS guidance, now expecting net sales growth of 3.75-4.75% and adjusted EPS in the range of $2.52-$2.62 [1][17] Financial Performance - Total revenues increased by 4.8% year over year, with a constant-currency growth of 5.6%, reflecting strong performance across all business segments [3][11] - Adjusted EPS rose 1.5% from the previous year, but fell short of expectations [3][11] - Operating income decreased by 8.2% year over year to $7.3 billion, impacted by legal and restructuring costs, although adjusted operating income increased by 0.4% [7][11] Segment Performance - Walmart U.S. segment net sales grew 4.8% to $120.9 billion, driven by grocery and health & wellness sales, with e-commerce sales rising 26% [8][9] - Walmart International segment net sales increased by 5.5% to $31.2 billion, with a 10.5% increase on a constant-currency basis, supported by strong performance in China and Flipkart [10][11] - Sam's Club U.S. segment net sales rose 6% to $21.2 billion, with e-commerce sales increasing by 26% [12][13] E-commerce and Digital Growth - Global e-commerce sales surged 25%, attributed to store-fulfilled pickup and delivery services [4][11] - Membership income increased by 15.3% globally, while advertising revenue advanced by 46% [4][11] Operating Metrics - Consolidated gross profit margin expanded by 4 basis points to 24.5%, supported by strong inventory management [5][11] - Operating expenses deleveraged by 64 basis points due to higher self-insured liability claims and technology investments [6][11] Future Outlook - For the third quarter of fiscal 2026, Walmart expects consolidated net sales growth of 3.75-4.75% and operating income growth of 3-6% [16][17] - The company anticipates net interest expenses to increase by $100-$200 million [17]

Market Overview - U.S. stocks traded lower, with the Dow Jones index falling approximately 50 points, down 0.62% to 44,660.91, NASDAQ down 0.74% to 21,016.48, and S&P 500 down 0.66% to 6,353.29 [1] - Health care shares increased by 0.7%, while consumer staples stocks decreased by 0.9% [1] Company Performance - Walmart Inc. shares fell 4% after reporting mixed second-quarter results, with adjusted earnings per share of 68 cents, missing the analyst consensus estimate of 74 cents, but quarterly sales of $177.40 billion, up 4.8% year over year, exceeded expectations [2] Commodity Market - Oil prices decreased by 0.2% to $63.06, while gold also fell by 0.2% to $3,383.50; silver rose by 0.9% to $38.100, and copper fell by 0.2% to $4.4335 [5] European Market - European shares showed mixed results, with the eurozone's STOXX 600 down 0.07%, Spain's IBEX 35 down 0.10%, London's FTSE 100 up 0.18%, Germany's DAX 40 up 0.01%, and France's CAC 40 down 0.53% [6] Asian Market - Asian markets closed mixed, with Japan's Nikkei 225 down 0.65%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng down 0.24%, China's Shanghai Composite up 0.13%, and India's BSE Sensex up 0.17% [7] Notable Stock Movements - Aptorum Group Limited shares surged 155% to $3.24 after receiving approval for the DiamiR APOE genotyping test [8] - Protagenic Therapeutics, Inc. shares increased by 94% to $4.43 after completing the first dose injections in its Phase 1 study [8] - SelectQuote, Inc. shares rose 40% to $2.5709 following better-than-expected fourth-quarter results and positive FY26 revenue guidance [8] - ModivCare Inc. shares dropped 61% to $0.7196 after filing for voluntary Chapter 11 [8] - Coty Inc. shares fell 20% to $3.8850 after missing fourth-quarter adjusted EPS, with Evercore ISI Group cutting its price target from $10 to $7 [8] - Canadian Solar Inc. shares decreased by 19% to $10.38 after reporting worse-than-expected second-quarter results and lowering FY25 sales guidance [8]

Core Insights - Walmart's eCommerce sales increased by 26% year-over-year, with grocery digital sales showing double-digit growth and store-fulfilled grocery delivery rising by 50% [2][3] Financial Performance - Despite a slight earnings miss due to rising costs from tariffs, Walmart raised its full-year net sales growth guidance to 3.75% to 4.75%, up from the previous 3% to 4% [3] - Comparable sales in the U.S. grew by 4.6%, with Sam's Club outperforming at 5.9% [3] eCommerce and Marketplace Growth - All segments of Walmart reported eCommerce sales growth exceeding 20%, with overall sales stronger than expected [4] - The global marketplace grew by 17%, and membership income increased by 15%, while global advertising surged by 46% [5] Consumer Behavior and Pricing Strategy - CEO Doug McMillon noted that U.S. consumer spending has remained consistent, with gradual impacts from tariffs leading to muted behavioral adjustments [6] - The company has managed to keep prices low despite rising costs, with creative strategies to avoid additional pressure on customers [6] Artificial Intelligence Initiatives - AI remains a key focus for Walmart, with plans to enhance the digital assistant Sparky for improved personalization and functionality [7][8] Membership and Loyalty Programs - Membership fee income across the enterprise rose by 15%, with Sam's Club seeing 7.6% growth in membership income and Walmart Plus membership income growing in double digits [9][10] Overall Business Strategy - The CFO highlighted the nuanced nature of the earnings report, emphasizing the strong momentum in eCommerce and diversified profit streams that are higher growth and higher margin [10]

Economic Indicators - Initial Jobless Claims rose to 235K, exceeding expectations by 10K and increasing by 11K from the previous week, marking the highest level since June [2] - Continuing Claims approached 2 million, reported at 1.972 million, the highest since November 2021 [2] - The Philly Fed Manufacturing survey showed a negative reading of -0.3, significantly lower than the expected 7.0 and the previous month's 15.9, indicating a decline in manufacturing output [3] - New Orders fell to -1.9, a decrease of 20 points month over month, while Shipments remained positive at 4.5 [3] Company Earnings - Walmart reported Q2 earnings of 68 cents per share, slightly below the Zacks consensus by 5 cents and only a penny above the previous year's earnings, with revenues of $177.4 billion, surpassing estimates by 1% [4] - Walmart revised its revenue guidance higher for the full fiscal year despite the mixed results [4] Market Expectations - Flash S&P Services and Manufacturing PMI for August are anticipated to cool down, with Services expected at 55.0 and Manufacturing at 49.5 [5] - Existing Home Sales for July are projected to decrease to 3.91 million annualized units from 3.93 million the prior month [6] - U.S. Leading Economic Indicators (LEI) are expected to improve to -0.1% for July from -0.3% in June [6] Upcoming Earnings Reports - Earnings season continues with companies like Zoom Communications, Workday, Ross Stores, and Intuit expected to report quarterly earnings, with Intuit projected to achieve a year-over-year earnings growth of 33% [7]