Core Viewpoint - The American retail landscape is facing significant challenges, with three major retailers—Dollar Tree, Kohl's, and Macy's—showing signs that they could potentially go out of business by the end of the year due to weak financial fundamentals and consumer sentiment [1]. Group 1: Dollar Tree - Dollar Tree reported Q3 revenue of $4.75 billion, reflecting a 9.4% year-over-year growth, and beat EPS estimates with $1.21 [1]. - The company generated $958.5 million in operating cash flow but had capital expenditures of $870.3 million, resulting in a free cash flow of only $88.2 million [1]. - Dollar Tree's total liabilities stand at $10.19 billion against equity of $3.46 billion, raising concerns about its financial stability [1]. Group 2: Kohl's - Kohl's achieved Q3 revenue of $3.58 billion and adjusted EPS of $0.10, marking its third consecutive quarter of beating expectations [1]. - However, revenue declined by 2.8% year-over-year, and net income fell by 63.64% to just $8 million, with cash reserves dropping 17.24% to $144 million [1]. - The stock has increased by 65% over the past year, but shareholders have lost 63.5% over the last five years, indicating a lack of long-term confidence [1]. Group 3: Macy's - Macy's reported Q3 revenue of $4.713 billion, beating EPS estimates with $0.09, and comparable sales grew by 2.5% [1]. - Despite this, revenue declined by 3.88% year-over-year, and net income dropped by 60.71% to just $11 million [1]. - The company returned $99 million to shareholders through dividends and buybacks, which is unsustainable given its current financial performance [1]. Group 4: Common Challenges - All three retailers exhibit a lack of financial cushion, with Kohl's net income at $8 million, Dollar Tree's free cash flow at $88 million, and Macy's net income at $11 million [1]. - They face significant financial pressure if consumer spending remains weak, especially as they need to invest in digital transformation to compete effectively [1].

Market Overview - U.S. stock futures are showing resilience with S&P 500 futures up 0.24%, Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.35%, and Dow Jones Industrial Average futures gaining approximately 0.16% as investors await significant economic data [1] - The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 0.5% at 49,395.16, while the Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 also faced declines of 0.3% and 0.28% respectively, indicating a "wait-and-see" approach in the current market environment [2] Economic Data and Policy Insights - The Department of Commerce is set to release the advance estimate for Q4 GDP, with a forecasted growth rate of 2.5%, alongside the PCE inflation data for December and January [3] - Hawkish minutes from the Federal Reserve's latest meeting indicate a split among policymakers regarding rate cuts, with some suggesting further tightening if inflation does not approach the 2% target [3] Corporate Developments - Nvidia is preparing to report quarterly earnings next week, trading slightly lower as investors assess the sustainability of AI-driven profit growth [4] - Apple has seen a decline of 1.4% amid concerns over global hardware demand [4] - Walmart reported stronger-than-expected holiday results but issued a cautious profit forecast due to "substantial uncertainty" in the macroeconomic environment [5] - Dropbox shares fell over 4% despite an earnings beat, as its fiscal 2026 sales guidance did not meet analyst expectations [5] - Blue Owl Capital announced a $1.4 billion asset sale and froze redemptions in one of its funds, raising industry-wide concerns [5] Notable Stock Movements - Tesla is experiencing modest gains of 0.09% in early trading, while Alphabet remains flat as the market evaluates the impact of new AI competitors [6] - Occidental Petroleum surged nearly 10% following a profit beat and rising crude prices, driven by geopolitical tensions [6]

This story was originally published on Marketing Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Marketing Dive newsletter. Walmart’s U.S. advertising arm, Walmart Connect, grew revenue 41% year over year in Q4, an important period that includes the holidays, according to an earnings statement. The retailer saw global advertising revenue rise 46%, reaching nearly $6.4 billion, for the full fiscal year. Advertising and membership fees, two high-margin segments, accounted for a third ...

Air Liquide - Air Liquide reported full-year revenue of €26.94 billion, slightly missing analyst estimates of €27.07 billion [10] - The company achieved recurring operating income of €5.58 billion, just below the anticipated €5.60 billion, with a recurring operating margin of 20.7% [2] - A dividend of €3.70 per share was announced, up from €3.30 the previous year, indicating management's confidence in long-term cash flow stability [3] HSBC - HSBC downgraded Walmart (WMT) from Buy to Hold due to cautious guidance for the 2026 fiscal year, citing tariff uncertainty and moderating inflation as potential headwinds [4] - The bank raised its price target for Merck & Co (MRK) to $135 from $120, highlighting the company's credible oncology strategy and management of patent cliffs [5] - HSBC also increased the price target for Occidental Petroleum (OXY) to $59 from $54, reflecting a positive outlook on the company's operations in the Permian Basin [5] MOL - MOL has been granted preferential access to Hungary's strategic crude oil reserves following the cessation of Russian crude deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline [6] - To address the supply gap, MOL is transitioning to maritime imports via the Adriatic port of Omišalj in Croatia, with the release of approximately 250,000 tons of strategic reserves deemed essential for refinery operations in Hungary and Slovakia [7] APAC Markets - The Hang Seng index experienced a sharp decline after the Lunar New Year holidays, influenced by a negative sentiment from Wall Street and concerns regarding private credit funds [8] - Big tech companies led the decline in Hong Kong, with investors adjusting expectations post-holiday [9] - Market participants are monitoring for potential support measures from Beijing to address ongoing producer deflation and weak consumer sentiment [9]

Core Viewpoint - Walmart's full-year earnings outlook for fiscal 2027 is below Wall Street expectations, citing "substantial uncertainty" from various economic factors [1] Group 1: Earnings Outlook - Walmart guided for fiscal 2027 adjusted earnings per share between $2.75 and $2.85, below Bloomberg consensus estimates of $2.97 [1] - For the first quarter, Walmart projected adjusted earnings of $0.63 to $0.65 per share, compared to Wall Street expectations of $0.69 [1] Group 2: Fourth Quarter Performance - In the fourth quarter, Walmart reported adjusted earnings of $0.74 per share on revenue of $190.66 billion, slightly exceeding analyst forecasts of $0.73 per share and $190.58 billion in revenue [2] - The performance indicates that U.S. economic growth is primarily driven by higher-income households and corporations, while lower-income consumers face challenges from elevated living costs and a softer labor market [2] Group 3: Sales and E-commerce Growth - Comparable sales at Walmart's U.S. stores increased by 4.6%, excluding fuel, during the 13 weeks ended January 30, supported by spending from higher-income households [3] - E-commerce accounted for a record 23% of total sales, driven by demand for faster delivery services [4] - Walmart has partnered with OpenAI and Google to enhance operational efficiencies and improve the digital shopping experience [4] Group 4: Membership Fee Income - Membership fee income declined by 11.2%, attributed to a comparison against prior-year proceeds from an insurance recovery [4]

The S&P/TSX composite index was up 205.25 points at 33,594.98.The April crude oil contract was up US$1.35 at US$66.40 per barrel.“Energy is the big sector today, that’s why the Canadian market is doing as well as it is,” said Pierre-Benoît Gauthier, vice-president of investment strategy at IG Wealth Management.U.S. President Donald Trump has been ratcheting up pressure on Iran, which is home to some of the world’s largest oil reserves, because of its disputed nuclear program. If a conflict were to break out ...

Key Takeaways Walmart beat Q4 estimates, with 24% e-commerce growth and 37% rise in global ad revenues.WMT posted 12.1% EPS growth, with operating income up 10.5% on a constant-currency basis. Walmart issued FY27 EPS outlook of $2.75-$2.85 and approved a new $30B buyback plan. Walmart Inc. (WMT) reported fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 results, wherein both top and bottom lines exceeded the respective Zacks Consensus Estimate. Growth was supported by sustained e-commerce momentum, advertising expansion, membersh ...

I want to bring in Caleb Silver, editor-inchief of Investopedia, to help set up some of the action today and recently. Uh you all just did your latest investor sentiment survey, a gauge of how retail investors are feeling, what they like right now. What's the overarching thing that you're seeing.>> Yeah, still optimistic, still pretty confident that they're going to produce more returns in the stock market. Uh even though the stocks, their favorite stocks have fallen a lot. the these are retail investors ar ...

Walmart's stock falls as the outlook for future profits wasn't good enough - MarketWatch## Earnings Results# Walmart's stock falls as the outlook for future profits wasn't good enough## Comparable sales for Walmart U.S. stores in the latest quarter beat expectations, but Sam's Club sales missed forecastsPublished: Feb. 19, 2026 at 7:42 a.m. ETShareResize---Listen(3 min)Walmart's stock drops after quarterly revenue from its U.S. stores and the outlook for profits this year were below Wall Street's projection ...

Walmart literally just out uh with results as we speak. Melissa Repco joins us. Scott, those numbers. >> Hey, Andrew. Walmart beat expectations for both sales and revenue for the holiday quarter as its business got a boost from e-commerce, advertising, and its third party marketplace. The company reported earnings per share of 74 cents compared to the 73 cents that Wall Street expected. It reported revenue of 190.66% billion compared to the 190.43% billion analysts expected. Its e-commerce sales in the US r ...