Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for Hysan Development (14 HK), Link REIT (823 HK), and Wharf REIC (1997 HK) [5][32][32] Core Insights - Hong Kong's retail sales grew by 2.4% year-on-year in May 2025, marking the end of a 14-month decline, with expectations for a full-year decline of only 3% in 2025 [2][8] - The positive wealth effect from financial markets and an increase in visitor arrivals, which rose by 12% year-on-year to approximately 24 million in the first half of 2025, are expected to support domestic spending [2][4] - Retailers focusing on discretionary spending, such as CTF Jewellery and Sa Sa International, have shown improved sales, while mall operators like Link REIT are expected to face ongoing rental pressures despite some tenant sales resilience [3][4] Summary by Sections Retail Market Overview - Retail sales in Hong Kong turned positive in May 2025 after a prolonged decline, with a 2.4% year-on-year increase, reversing a 2.3% decline in April [2][8] - The retail market is anticipated to stabilize, with a projected narrowing of the sales decline in the second half of 2025 [2][8] Retail Performance by Category - The largest increase in retail spending was seen in Cosmetics, which rose by 8.7% year-on-year, followed by Other categories at 7.6% and Department Store Sales at 6.3% [9][13] - Certain categories, including Jewellery and Fuels, experienced declines, with Jewellery down 3.2% year-on-year [9][13] Company-Specific Insights - Hysan Development's mall portfolio is expected to benefit from the positive wealth effect, with a target price of HKD 18.60, implying a 28.3% upside from the current price [5][32] - Link REIT is projected to maintain a resilient distribution per unit (DPU) supported by lower borrowing costs and its diversified portfolio, with a target price of HKD 45.00, indicating a 6.6% upside [5][32] - Wharf REIC is also rated as a "Buy," with a target price of HKD 30.00, reflecting a 33.0% upside, driven by expected growth in tourist spending [5][32]

Swedish retail sales fell the most in more than two decades last month, increasing pressure on the country’s central bank to lower rates again https://t.co/oZ6dnP2XDH ...

Group 1 - The latest US Retail Sales report showed a headline number below Wall Street consensus expectations, indicating potential consumer weakness [1] - The core control reading, which impacts GDP calculations, exceeded forecasts, suggesting underlying consumer resilience [1] Group 2 - The article emphasizes the importance of analyzing macro drivers of various asset classes, including stocks, bonds, commodities, currencies, and crypto [1]

As of June 2025, the US economy continues to defy some expectations as the labor market shows some strength even with inflation moderating. The latest jobs report on June 6th showed non-farm payrolls grew by 139,000 in May. This surpassed the forecast of 125,000 jobs, while the unemployment rate held steady at 4.2%.Meanwhile, the most recent CPI report on the 11th showed inflation below expectations at 2.4% year-over-year in May with core steady at 2.8%. Earlier worries that tariffs was going to at the same ...

Brett Schulman, Cava co-founder and CEO, joins ‘Money Movers’ to react to a weaker-than-expected retail sales number, and to share his outlook on the consumer and inflation. ...

We are just seconds away from retail sales and import prices. The futures this morning are weaker. Not as weak as they've been though.Down 160 right now for the Dow. Let's get right over to Rick Santelli at the CME in Chicago. Rick, yes, we could see yields moving lower.The market's smart. Retail sales for the month of May coming in at minus minus 9/10 of a percent. Almost down 1%.This is much more aggressive to the downside than we were expecting. We're expecting a number in the vicinity of down half a per ...

Market Trends & Geopolitical Impact - Oil prices initially surged to their highest level since January but pulled back following signals from Iran about de-escalating tensions and potential nuclear talks [1][18][20][21] - Defense stocks continued to climb amid the Israel-Iran conflict, though analysts suggest investor behavior is more of a "safe haven" move than a direct correlation to company bottom lines [1][70][71][72] - The Paris Air Show is expected to be muted due to the ongoing conflict and a recent Air India crash, with Boeing CEO skipping the event [59][61] Economic Indicators & Fed Policy - The market is shifting focus to Fed policy, earnings, and factors impacting the earnings picture, with the FOMC meeting being a key event [5][8] - There's discussion around the potential for a dovish Fed pivot, driven by inflation being cooler than in 2019 when the Fed last cut rates [35][36] - Real-time housing inflation is falling, suggesting the official measure has room to decline, potentially signaling a green light for the Fed to turn dovish [38][39] Company Specific & Sector Analysis - Meta is introducing ads to WhatsApp, focusing on user data for targeting but aiming to avoid content analysis, with the bigger opportunity being the race to artificial general intelligence [44][45][47] - Reddit is launching AI-driven advertising tools, leveraging human engagement data to inform generative AI and improve ad targeting [50][51] - Victoria's Secret is facing pressure from activist investors to overhaul the board and focus on the core bra business, while also navigating consumer spending habits and recent leadership changes [53][56][57] - China is stimulating its consumer market to offset export dependency, with Apple being a notable loser as domestic brands like Huawei gain market share [76][78][79][80] Global Investment Strategies - There's a potential shift in global equity leadership away from the US, with capital repatriation expected to benefit Europe, Asia, and emerging markets [87] - The US dollar showed no reaction to market surprises, and there was no rally in treasuries, indicating a lack of appetite for US assets [84][85] - TPW Advisory is overweight Chinese equity, favoring US-listed ETFs, and constructive on a global growth cycle extending through 2027-2028 [82][83] AI & Technology - AI is a major theme at the Can Lions International Festival of Creativity, with discussions on how it's changing the advertising and media industries [95] - Time Inc is embracing AI, launching Time AI with Scale AI to create personalized content and audio versions of their journalism [96][97][98][101][102] - Hyperscalers are investing heavily in the race to artificial general intelligence, even without knowing the ultimate prize [48] Energy Sector - Energy stocks may present an opportunity, as they have diverged from oil price trends and offer potential dividends [105][106] - AI's energy demands are creating a large energy problem, with hyperscalers investing in creative solutions like "behind the meter" energy sources [16][17] - Gas prices are still about 33 cents a gallon below last year, and diesel prices hit their lowest level since 2021 prior to Middle East escalations [23][32][33]

Core Insights - Urban Outfitters, Inc. (URBN) reported strong first-quarter fiscal 2026 results, with both earnings and sales exceeding expectations, leading to a 17.5% increase in share price during after-market trading [1][5]. Financial Performance - Earnings per share reached $1.16, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 81 cents, marking a 78.5% increase year-over-year [5]. - Total net sales increased by 10.7% year-over-year to $1,329.5 million, exceeding the consensus estimate of $1,286 million [5]. - The Retail segment's comparable sales grew by 4.8%, with notable increases in sales from both digital and physical stores [6]. Segment Performance - The Wholesale segment saw a significant 24.2% year-over-year growth in net sales, driven by a 25.6% increase in Free People's wholesale sales [7]. - Nuuly, the women's apparel subscription rental service, experienced a 59.5% increase in net sales, attributed to a 52.9% rise in average active subscribers [7]. Margin and Cost Insights - Gross profit rose by 19.8% year-over-year to $489.1 million, with gross margin expanding by 278 basis points to 36.8% [8][9]. - Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses increased by 8.1% year-over-year to $360.8 million, primarily due to higher marketing costs and store payroll expenses [10]. Operational Highlights - Operating income increased by 71.8% to $128.2 million, with the operating margin rising by 340 basis points to 9.6% [11]. - The company opened 13 retail locations during the quarter, including two Urban Outfitters and two Anthropologie stores [12]. Financial Health - As of April 30, 2025, URBN had cash and cash equivalents of $189.4 million and total shareholders' equity of $2.43 billion [14]. - The total inventory grew by 14.6% year-over-year, with the Retail segment's inventory increasing by 13.2% [14]. Future Outlook - For the fiscal second quarter, Urban Outfitters anticipates total company sales growth in the high-single-digit range, with the Retail segment expected to see mid-single-digit growth [18]. - The company plans to open 64 stores and close 17 in fiscal 2026, with a capital expenditure of $240 million [21].

Retail Sector Overview - U.S. retail sales grew 0.1% in April after a revised 1.7% increase in March, with a year-over-year rise of 5.2% [3] - Online store sales increased by 2% in April, while food services and drinking places saw a 1.2% rise [3] - The retail sector has shown resilience despite challenges from tariffs and consumer sentiment [4] Impact of Tariffs and Trade Deals - A temporary pause on tariffs was announced after the U.S. and China reached a trade truce, which is expected to benefit the retail sector [1][6] - The retail sector's growth was hindered by fears of tariffs, but upcoming trade deals may provide a boost [5] Inflation and Economic Outlook - U.S. consumer inflation showed signs of cooling, with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rising 0.2% in April and 2.3% year-over-year, the smallest gain since February 2021 [7] - Lower inflation rates may lead to potential rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, which would positively impact the retail sector and the broader economy [8] Investment Opportunities in Retail Stocks - Recommended retail stocks include Maplebear Inc. (CART), PC Connection, Inc. (CNXN), Carvana Co. (CVNA), and Nordstrom, Inc. (JWN), all showing positive earnings estimate revisions [2] - Maplebear Inc. has an expected earnings growth rate of 7.6% for the current year, with a Zacks Rank of 2 [10] - PC Connection has an expected earnings growth rate of 6.8% for the current year, also holding a Zacks Rank of 2 [11] - Carvana Co. is projected to have over 100% earnings growth next year, with a Zacks Rank of 2 [13] - Nordstrom has an expected earnings growth rate of 1.8% for the current year, maintaining a Zacks Rank of 2 [15]

Headline Figures HS 89% Sales value (amount spent) growth March 2025 vs. March 2024 *Seasonally adjusted, excluding fuel Including fuel +2.7% FB 307 Sales volume (items purchased) growth March 2025 vs. March 2024 *Seasonally adjusted, excluding fuel Including fuel +2.6% -2.9% Retail Sales Dashboard March 2025 A monthly overview of UK retail sales performance, including key metrics on core sub-sectors and e-commerce. Sales value (amount spent) growth Most recent 3 months YoY growth Sales volume (items purcha ...