Core Insights - Major retailers' earnings reports have shown mixed results, with Walmart outperforming expectations while others like Home Depot and Target faced challenges [1][2] Group 1: Home Improvement Retailers - Home Depot reported earnings softer than expected and cut its full-year outlook due to slower consumer spending and a weaker housing market [1] - Lowe's performed comparatively better, posting a top and bottom line beat and raising its full-year sales forecast, despite slightly lowering its profit outlook [1] Group 2: Discount Retailers - Target disappointed Wall Street with a revenue miss and reduced earnings guidance, citing decreased traffic and softness in its discretionary portfolio [2] - In contrast, TJX, which operates brands like TJ Maxx and Marshalls, delivered a strong quarter, benefiting from its strategy of purchasing excess merchandise, leading to improved transaction numbers and average transaction amounts [3] Group 3: Overall Retail Environment - The retail environment is challenging, requiring selectivity in stock picking, as not many retailers are performing well [1] - Walmart's strong performance and raised full-year forecast indicate its ability to attract a diverse shopper base, contrasting with the struggles of its peers [2]

Market Trends - A significant reversal occurred on Wall Street, with the Dow erasing a 700-point gain and the NASDAQ dropping 2% amid concerns over the Federal Reserve's monetary policy [2][16] - Strong earnings reports from companies like Walmart and Nvidia were insufficient to maintain market momentum, indicating underlying market fears [2][16] Retail Sector Insights - Retailers are entering the holiday season with a 4% increase in on-hand inventory compared to last year, but a sharp decline in incoming inventory is expected [5][6] - Retailers are attempting to stabilize prices during the holiday season, although there may be pricing pressures in 2026 due to earlier inventory pull-forwards [7][9] - Specific sectors, such as home goods and furniture, are experiencing rapid price increases due to previous tariff impacts [8] Consumer Behavior and Pricing - Retailers are expected to adopt dynamic discounting strategies, with potential for deeper discounts as the holiday season progresses [12][13] - Walmart's CFO noted a growing disparity in wage growth between low-income and high-income consumers, impacting overall consumer behavior [32] - Food prices remain 25% higher than five years ago, but recent tariff removals may provide some relief for consumers [35][46] Company Performance - Gap reported third-quarter results exceeding expectations, raising its full-year operating margin and net sales outlook [47] - Ross Stores also beat earnings expectations for the third quarter and raised its full-year earnings outlook, indicating optimism for the holiday season [48] - Intuit's fiscal first-quarter results surpassed expectations, although its second-quarter guidance fell slightly short of Wall Street's forecasts [49]

Market Overview - America's top stock market indexes experienced a slump after an initial surge, with the S&P 500 index finishing 1.5% lower and the Nasdaq dropping 2.2% [4][7][8] - Concerns about a potential AI bubble resurfaced, leading to a reversal of early gains in the market [5][19] Nvidia's Performance - Nvidia reported $57 billion in revenues for the three months ending in October, surpassing analyst expectations of $55 billion, which initially boosted market sentiment [11][90] - The company raised its revenue guidance for the fourth quarter from $61.9 billion to $65 billion, indicating strong demand for its AI chips [90][91] - Despite the positive results, Nvidia's stock fell by 1.44% after an initial surge of nearly 5% [20][39] Investor Sentiment - Ray Dalio indicated that while there is a clear bubble in the markets, investors should not rush to sell, as there may still be room for growth before a potential burst [2][3] - Matt Maley noted that concerns about AI investments not generating expected profits have led investors to consider taking profits off the table [5][19] Bitcoin and Other Stocks - Bitcoin fell by more than 5% to its lowest price since April, continuing a downward trend that has seen it lose over 20% of its value since the start of October [13][14] - Shares in Palantir dropped by 5% amid fears of a potential AI slump, contributing to a 13.3% decline over the past month [15][16] Economic Indicators - The S&P 500 is currently trading at a value 22 times its 12-month earnings, significantly above the 10-year average of 18 times earnings, raising concerns about overvaluation [18] - The US Treasury yields dipped as investors speculated on the possibility of an interest rate cut following a rise in unemployment [23][31]

Wall Street stocks fell on Thursday in a sharp reversal from an early rally, as technology gains faded after a boost from Nvidia’s earnings and US jobs data muddied the labor market outlook.The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 386 points, or 0.8%, to 45,752. The blue-chip index had risen more than 700 points earlier in the session. The S&P 500 lost 1.6%, and the Nasdaq slipped nearly 500 points, or 2.2%.Nvidia closed down 3% after surging as much as 5% earlier in the day. Most chip-related companies als ...

The U.S. stock market experienced a day of significant volatility on Thursday, November 20th, 2025, as an initial surge fueled by Nvidia's strong earnings largely faded by the close, leaving major indexes in negative territory. Investors grappled with mixed signals from a delayed jobs report and shifting expectations around Federal Reserve policy, leading to a broad-based retreat from earlier gains.Major Index PerformanceAfter opening sharply higher on the heels of a blockbuster earnings report from artific ...

Core Insights - Walmart Inc. reported stronger-than-expected third-quarter results, leading to a more than 5% increase in its share price intra-day [1] - The company is experiencing less tariff-related pressure than initially anticipated earlier in the year [1] Financial Performance - Adjusted earnings per share were $0.62, exceeding analyst expectations of $0.60 [2] - Revenue reached $179.5 billion, surpassing the consensus estimate of $177.45 billion, marking a year-over-year increase of 5.8% or 6.0% in constant currency [2] - Global eCommerce sales increased by 27%, highlighting one of the company's fastest-growing segments [2] Sales and Revenue Growth - Comparable sales in Walmart U.S. rose by 4.5%, showing broad-based strength across various categories [3] - Global advertising revenues surged by 53%, with contributions from VIZIO, while Walmart Connect in the U.S. grew by 33% [3] - Membership income saw a significant increase of 16.7% [3] Future Outlook - Walmart raised its fiscal 2026 outlook, projecting net sales growth of 4.8% to 5.1% and adjusted operating income growth of 4.8% to 5.5%, both on a constant-currency basis [4] - Adjusted EPS is now expected to be between $2.58 and $2.63, compared to the previous guidance of $2.52 to $2.62 [4]

Core Insights - Walmart Inc. raised its fiscal 2026 guidance after reporting strong third-quarter results, with both revenue and earnings exceeding expectations [1][10] - E-commerce continued to be a significant growth driver, contributing to market share gains and improved operational efficiencies [1][3] Financial Performance - Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) increased by 6.9% year over year to 62 cents, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by one cent [2] - Total revenues rose by 5.8% year over year to $179.5 billion, exceeding the consensus estimate of $177.14 billion; on a constant-currency basis, revenues grew by 6% [2] - Global e-commerce sales surged by 27%, with all segments experiencing over 20% growth [3] Segment Analysis - **Walmart U.S.**: Net sales grew by 5.1% year over year to $120.7 billion, driven by e-commerce strength and market share growth; U.S. comp sales, excluding fuel, increased by 4.5% [5] - **Walmart International**: Net sales increased by 10.8% to $33.5 billion, with a constant-currency growth of 11.4%, supported by strong performances in China and Flipkart [6] - **Sam's Club U.S.**: Net sales rose by 4.4% to $21.1 billion, with comp sales excluding fuel growing by 3.8%; e-commerce sales increased by 22% [8][9] Operational Efficiency - Consolidated gross profit margin expanded by two basis points to 24.2%, primarily driven by Walmart U.S. [3] - Adjusted operating income reached $7.2 billion, reflecting an 8% increase on a constant-currency basis [4] Future Guidance - For fiscal 2026, Walmart expects consolidated net sales growth of 4.8-5.1% (at constant currency), up from previous guidance of 3.75-4.75% [13] - Adjusted EPS for fiscal 2026 is projected to be in the range of $2.58-$2.63, compared to prior guidance of $2.52-$2.62 [13] Shareholder Returns - Year to date, Walmart repurchased 75.3 million shares for $7 billion, with $5.1 billion remaining under its $20 billion authorization [12]

Group 1: Company Performance - Wal-Mart reported an increase in sales and profit outlook for the year, successfully attracting budget-conscious shoppers and managing rising costs, leading to a significant rise in its stock price [1] - TJ Maxx is benefiting from U.S. consumers opting for cheaper alternatives amid economic stress, while Target is struggling with profitability due to necessary price reductions to remain competitive [2] - Home Depot indicated a slowdown in consumer spending on home remodeling and big-ticket purchases due to a cooling job market, reflecting mixed outlooks in the home improvement sector [3] Group 2: Industry Trends - The retail landscape shows a trend of consumers trading down to affordable alternatives, impacting various retailers differently [4] - Lowe's is expected to see growth in online sales and from professional contractors, indicating a shift in consumer purchasing behavior [4] - Upcoming results from Best Buy, Abercrombie and Fitch, and Kohl's are anticipated to provide further insights into the retail sector's performance [4]

Core Market Dynamics - The U.S. stock market experienced significant volatility on November 20, 2025, with initial gains from Nvidia's strong earnings evaporating by afternoon trading [1][9] - Major indexes like the S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite, and Dow Jones Industrial Average all saw substantial swings, with the S&P 500 initially rising by 1.9% before dropping to a loss of 0.7% [2][3] Sector Performance - Technology stocks, which initially led the morning rally, faced sharp losses in the afternoon, indicating a reassessment of high valuations amid economic uncertainties [4] - Walmart emerged as a notable outlier, with shares jumping approximately 6% due to better-than-expected third-quarter results and an optimistic outlook for fiscal year 2026 [5] Economic Data Impact - The delayed September jobs report revealed stronger-than-expected job growth with 119,000 jobs added, surpassing the forecast of 50,000, but the unemployment rate rose to 4.4% from 4.3% [6][7] - This mixed employment data complicates the Federal Reserve's outlook ahead of its December FOMC meeting, with the odds of a 25 basis point rate cut rising to 39.6% [7] Major Corporate Announcements - Nvidia reported blockbuster fiscal 2026 third-quarter results, exceeding expectations and providing a strong revenue forecast, although shares later pared gains to a decline of about 2.3% [12] - Other companies like Palo Alto Networks and Bath & Body Works faced challenges, with Palo Alto's shares slipping after announcing an acquisition and Bath & Body Works plummeting approximately 17% due to disappointing earnings [12]

Walmart posted its latest quarterly results, topping expectations on Thursday. Jakub Porzycki / NurPhoto / Getty Images Close Key Takeaways Shares of Walmart jumped Thursday, putting them among the S&P 500's top gainers, after the company reported quarterly results that topped Wall Street's estimates and boosted its outlook. Walmart (WMT) earned an adjusted $0.62 per share in the third quarter of its 2026 fiscal year, 2 cents above the analyst consensus compiled by Visible Alpha. Revenue rose 5.8% from the ...