Core Insights - Walmart and Target are the two largest multi-category retailers in the U.S., dominating the brick-and-mortar retail landscape [1][2] - Walmart significantly outpaces Target in scale, with a larger number of stores, a robust international presence, and being the world's largest retailer by revenue [2] - Despite Walmart's size, Target has occasionally outperformed it, particularly during the pandemic, but Walmart has since established a clear lead [3][4] Financial Performance - Walmart reported a 5.8% increase in overall revenue to $179.5 billion, surpassing the consensus estimate of $175.2 billion, with U.S. comparable sales rising 4.5% [7] - Target's comparable sales fell by 2.7%, leading to a 1.5% decline in overall revenue to $25.3 billion, which aligned with estimates [8] - Walmart's adjusted operating income increased by 8%, indicating margin expansion, while Target's operating margin decreased from 4.6% to 3.8% due to lower sales and increased markdowns [7][8] Market Dynamics - Both retailers acknowledged an "affordability crisis" in their earnings calls, with Walmart being stronger in groceries and essentials, while Target is more focused on discretionary items [5] - The stock performance of Walmart has more than doubled over the past three years, while Target's stock has nearly halved, highlighting a significant divergence in their market trajectories [4][5] Challenges for Target - Target has faced numerous challenges over the past three years, struggling to maintain momentum after the pandemic-driven growth period [9]

Fresh off of your first meeting with President Donald Trump. He praised you. He even said you could do a great job as mayor despite months of a bitter back and forth.Were you surprised by the warm welcome that you got. >> You know, I was looking forward to having the meeting with the president to speak about the needs of the 8 and a half million people who call the same city we love home and to speak frankly about the affordability crisis that is pushing so many of them out of those five burrows. And I foun ...

Watch live coverage as President Trump meets with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani for the first time in the Oval Office. Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist whom the president has derided as a “communist,” has said he proposed the meeting in part to “address the affordability crisis” in New York City. MS NOW: My Source for News, Opinion, and the World. Same mission. New name. » Subscribe to MS NOW: https://www.youtube.com/@msnow MS NOW is the go-to destination for domestic and internatio ...

Core Insights - Target has issued warnings about its business performance, cutting its full-year profit guidance and anticipating a weak holiday season due to consumer affordability issues [1][2] Financial Performance - Net sales decreased by 1.5% year over year to $25.3 billion, slightly above estimates of $25.04 billion [7] - Gross profit margin was 28.2%, compared to 28.3% a year ago and above estimates of 27.51% [7] - Diluted earnings per share fell by 3.9% year over year to $1.78, surpassing estimates of $1.73 [7] - Comparable sales dropped by 2.7% year over year, contrasting with an estimate of +0.3% [7] - Digital comparable sales increased by 2.4% [7] Consumer Behavior - Consumers are being selective with their spending, focusing on essentials and seeking deals on discretionary items [2] - The number of transactions has declined year over year, with sales falling in discretionary categories like beauty and home furnishings [3] Strategic Initiatives - Target plans to increase capital expenditures by 25% in 2026 to enhance store appearances [3] - The company recently reduced prices on 3,000 food and household essential items [3] Leadership Changes - Incoming CEO Michael Fiddelke, a veteran of Target, will officially take over on February 1, 2026, expressing confidence in navigating the evolving macroeconomic environment [4] Analyst Sentiment - Most analysts maintain a Neutral or Sell rating on Target's stock, despite a 35% decline this year [5] - Concerns include long-term sales and margin risks due to slowing digital sales growth, tariff impacts, and competitive pressures from Walmart and Amazon [5][6]

Core Insights - Target has issued significant warnings regarding its business outlook for 2025, including a reduction in full-year profit guidance and expectations for a weak holiday season due to consumer affordability challenges [1][2] Financial Performance - Net sales decreased by 1.5% year over year to $25.3 billion, slightly above estimates of $25.04 billion [7] - Gross profit margin was 28.2%, a slight decline from 28.3% a year ago, and better than the estimated 27.51% [7] - Diluted earnings per share fell by 3.9% year over year to $1.78, surpassing estimates of $1.73 [7] - Comparable sales dropped by 2.7% year over year, contrasting with an estimated increase of 0.3% [7] - Digital comparable sales increased by 2.4% [7] Consumer Behavior - Consumers are being selective with their spending, focusing on essentials and seeking deals on discretionary items [2] - There has been a noticeable decline in transactions and sales in discretionary categories such as beauty and home furnishings [3] Strategic Initiatives - Target plans to increase capital expenditures by 25% in 2026 to enhance store appearances [3] - The company recently reduced prices on 3,000 food and household essential items to attract cost-conscious consumers [3] Leadership Changes - Incoming CEO Michael Fiddelke, a long-time Target veteran, will officially take over on February 1, 2026, succeeding Brian Cornell [4] Market Sentiment - Analysts generally hold Neutral or Sell ratings on Target's stock, despite a 35% decline in share price this year [5] - Concerns include long-term sales and margin risks due to slowing digital sales growth, tariff impacts, and competitive pressures from Walmart and Amazon [5][6]

My team reached out to the White House to fulfill a commitment I made to New Yorkers over the course of this campaign. A commitment that showed a willingness to meet with anyone and everyone so long as it was to the benefit of the 8 and a half million people that call the city their home and so long as it would help to address the affordability crisis that is pushing so many of them out of this city. And SNAP is a critical part of that because what we see is that New Yorkers are struggling to afford groceri ...

If you look at the leads of the New York Times and the Washington Post, uh what it shows is something that I actually found was was one of my favorite sayings. Uh it's proving one of my favorite sayings uh that that that came out of my time in Washington DC. Paul Simon, who not the singer, but the senator from Illinois when he was leaving Washington, someone asked, "Well, what have you learned in Washington? What's the one big takeaway?" And Senator Simon said, "Well, in politics, sometimes when you win, yo ...

Time now for money power politics. The elections last week made it clear that voters care about affordability in this country and some would call it an affordability crisis. But the administration, they're not hearing it.I want you to watch what Treasury Secretary Scott Besson said on our air this morning. >> The economy under President Trump's been very resilient and you know, growth has exceeded expectations almost every quarter. We inherited an affordability crisis.We have slowed the price increases down ...

Hey, with us now we have US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant. Uh Mr. . Secretary, thanks so much for being with us.Greatly appreciate it. Um I want to ask you about the government shutdown. It's over now.There had been estimates before that it might take 1% GDP uh in the fourth quarter uh from the US economy. With it coming to an end, what are your what's your best estimate right now about uh how much uh the shutdown will have ended up costing the American people and how quickly the economy will bounce back ...

Government Shutdown & Legislation - The Senate passed a bill to reopen the government with bipartisan support (52 Republicans, 7 Democrats, and 1 independent), combining spending bills and a stop-gap measure to fund the government through the end of January [1] - The bill reverses mass layoffs and blocks additional firings but does not extend health care subsidies [2] - Speaker Johnson is aiming to clear the legislation in the House, but cannot guarantee a vote [2][3][4] Political Landscape & Midterm Elections - Republicans suffered politically in Virginia due to cuts affecting food assistance and healthcare access, impacting Biden-won districts [7] - Every county in Virginia moved toward the Democrats, indicating concerns about affordability [9] - Some counties that hadn't voted Democratic since LBJ shifted, suggesting a potential negative forecast for Republicans in the midterm elections [12] - The Democratic party is perceived to have won the shutdown, with Trump's disapproval ratings increasing [25] Affordability Crisis & Voter Sentiment - Affordability is a key issue for Americans, impacting their daily lives at grocery stores, gas stations, and doctor's offices [15][16] - There's a sense that something is wrong with the government, with voters feeling disconnected from their representatives [17] - Trump's denial of the affordability crisis as a "con job" is seen as out of touch with voters' realities [20][31] - The House of Representatives has been in session for only 20 days in the last 18 weeks, leading to anger over abdicated responsibility [22]