荔枝热、AI潮、外卖大战、数字人直播等热点共筑消费新生态 羊城晚报全媒体记者 沈钊 走到第17个年头的"618"购物节再次掀起消费热潮。艾瑞咨询数据显示，今年"618"期间，消费者网购支出显著增长，核心消费区间由日常网购支出的501 元-2000元扩展至501元-3000元，人均支出较去年猛增656元。 从全国范围看，经济强省广东表现尤为亮眼。京东战报显示，广东购买力再夺全国榜首，不仅数码、户外运动消费火热，特色农产品广东荔枝销量同比增长 超5倍，热销全国。与此同时，外卖大战、毕业旅行消费、AI产品及首个超级头部主播数字人直播等新业态、新热点，共同勾勒出这届"618"的多元图景。 汕尾购买力增速省内最高 荔枝销售增长超5倍卖向全国 作为经济强省与消费强省的广东，在本次"618"大促中的表现如何？京东于6月18日发布的战报给出了答案：广东购买力高居全国首位，下单量增速位列全国 第十。省内方面，深圳荣膺购买力最强城市，而汕尾则成为购买力增速最高的城市。在本地品牌关注度上，知名调味品品牌海天拔得头筹。 从人均消费金额来看，手机以5379元遥遥领先，成为人均消费最高的品类。空调、平板电视、平板电脑及冰箱的人均消费金额 ...

Albert Heijn is 138 years old, and we are the number one food retailer in the Netherlands. We have over 1,200 stores and we serve nearly five million customers every single week. Our customers have less time, want to eat more healthily, and have very specific needs.Steijn is a digital assistant in our app that is answering that key question, "What's for dinner tonight? How can I help you?" Steijn is powered by AI and we leveraged several tools from Microsoft to really empower all the technology behind it. W ...

Core Viewpoint - Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE: BBW) is experiencing revenue growth and expanding its physical and digital presence, leading to a positive outlook for the company [1]. Group 1 - The company was previously rated as a "Buy" due to its well-known retail brand and growth trajectory [1]. - Build-A-Bear Workshop is rewarding investors through dividends and share buybacks, indicating a commitment to returning value to shareholders [1].

Target (TGT 2.03%) is one of the leading retailers in the United States, often looked at as a more upscale Walmart. While that's a pretty good description of the business, it isn't the best comparison today because Walmart's business is doing fairly well while Target's stores aren't. But for contrarian investors, there are still some strong reasons to buy Target stock while it looks like it's on sale.1. Target has a historically high yieldFor many investors, the big reason to like Target today is its 4.5% d ...

Group 1 - Costco has a strong business model as a club store, generating significant revenue from membership fees, which support operating profits and earnings [2][4][5] - Membership fees account for approximately $1.2 billion in revenue, nearly half of Costco's operating profit of about $2.5 billion in Q3 2025 [4] - The company boasts a high membership renewal rate of over 90%, indicating customer satisfaction and loyalty [6] Group 2 - Costco's sales grew by 8% in Q3, with same-store sales increasing by 5.7% and customer traffic up by 5.2% [8] - Customers are purchasing 0.4% more on each visit, showcasing the strength of Costco's business model amid economic uncertainty [8][10] - In contrast to other retailers like Target, which experienced sales declines, Costco continues to perform well [8] Group 3 - Despite its strong business performance, Costco's valuation is a concern, with price-to-sales and price-to-earnings ratios above their five-year averages [11] - The stock price is near all-time highs, making it a challenging investment for those focused on valuation [12] - Investors may prefer to wait for a potential price drawdown before purchasing, as historical data shows notable drops in the stock price [12][14]

Group 1: Alphabet - Alphabet is considered one of the "Magnificent Seven" stocks, trading at around 20 times earnings, which is a discount compared to peers and the overall market [2] - The company has a low dividend yield of 0.5% with a payout ratio of 8.9%, indicating significant room for future dividend growth [3] - Alphabet is focusing on share repurchases and investing in AI growth rather than increasing dividends [3] - The company is innovating in AI, introducing features like "AI Overviews" and "AI Mode" in Google Search, which are expected to monetize similarly to traditional search [4] - Alphabet's Gemini 2.5 LLM has gained traction, quickly rising in developer rankings and leading in various applications [5] - The company has three other significant businesses: YouTube, Google Cloud, and Waymo, with YouTube growing by double digits and Google Cloud achieving a $50 billion annual revenue run-rate with 28% growth last quarter [7] - Waymo is a leader in the autonomous taxi industry, conducting over 250,000 autonomous rides weekly across four cities [8] Group 2: Applied Materials - Applied Materials is a leading semiconductor equipment supplier, currently 33% below its July 2024 highs, but recognized for its high-quality business [9] - The company specializes in etch and deposition equipment essential for AI-related semiconductor production, with a services business contributing 22% of revenue [9][10] - Applied Materials pays a 1.1% dividend with a low payout ratio of 19.5%, allowing for potential future dividend growth, including a recent 15% increase [10][11] Group 3: Target - Target is trading at just 11 times earnings with a substantial 4.6% dividend, but is down 64% from its all-time highs [13] - The company is experiencing revenue declines but remains profitable, with competitive store locations despite not being known for ultra-low prices [14] - Target's focus on discretionary items has been impacted by inflation, but signs of recovery are emerging as inflation appears to be easing [15] - The digital business grew in the mid-single digits last quarter, with a notable 36% growth in same-day delivery [16] - Target has a long history and has successfully navigated crises, suggesting potential for recovery and stability in the future [17]

Core Viewpoint - Target is facing significant challenges, with sales declining and stock prices dropping over 60% from their peak, marking the worst performance since the 1990s, but the company is not considered to be dying and has a fundamentally sound financial foundation [1][4][7]. Group 1: Sales and Market Conditions - Target's sales have plateaued and started to decline due to various factors, including increased financial strain on consumers primarily caused by rampant inflation [4]. - Groceries and household essentials accounted for only 40.5% of total merchandise sales last year, meaning that when consumers cut back on discretionary spending, Target is significantly impacted [5]. - Consumer sentiment has dropped to its lowest level since July 2022, exacerbated by tariff uncertainties [5]. Group 2: Company Policies and Backlash - Target faced backlash from shoppers due to its decision to roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, leading to a 40-day boycott that began in early March [6]. - Merchandise sales dropped 3.1% year over year in Q1 2025, following a 3.2% decline in Q1 2024, indicating ongoing struggles [6]. Group 3: Financial Stability - Despite challenges, Target maintains a solid financial foundation, with a dividend yield of 4.4% and annual dividend spending of $2 billion, while generating over $3.5 billion in free cash flow over the past year [7][8]. - Target has nearly $2.9 billion in cash, sufficient to fund dividends for a year, and holds an investment-grade credit rating, allowing time to rethink business strategies [8]. Group 4: Growth Plans - Target plans to open 300 new stores over the next decade, increasing its footprint by approximately 15%, indicating a commitment to growth despite current challenges [10]. - The company has less than half the number of stores as Walmart, suggesting that the U.S. market can support further expansion [10]. Group 5: Valuation and Investment Potential - Target's stock is currently priced at a price-to-earnings ratio of 11, significantly lower than Walmart's 41, reflecting pessimistic market expectations [11]. - If Target maintains its 4.4% dividend and achieves mid-single-digit earnings growth, it could generate double-digit annualized investment returns, improving sentiment towards the stock [12]. Group 6: Conclusion - The stock is positioned for potential improvement, as it would require a complete failure for the stock not to recover somewhat from current levels, making it an attractive option for investors seeking dividends while waiting for recovery [13].

Walmart and Amazon are reportedly exploring their own corporate stablecoins as a customer payment option, which could potentially reduce the billions of dollars the retailers pay in credit transaction fees. https://t.co/uISOWHSMF4 ...

Core Viewpoint - Five Below has demonstrated significant growth, with a 19.5% year-over-year revenue increase, positioning itself as a strong investment opportunity despite its competitive retail environment [5][6]. Company Performance - Five Below's revenue reached $970.5 million in Q1 2025, surpassing Wall Street estimates, and same-store sales increased by 7.1% [5]. - The company has expanded its store count from 385 in Q1 2015 to 1,826 as of the latest fiscal quarter, with a long-term goal of reaching 3,500 stores [6]. Market Environment - The retail sector is highly competitive, characterized by low profit margins and changing consumer preferences, which can deter investors [4]. - Five Below's performance is influenced by the broader economic environment, with retailers generally thriving when the economy is strong [8]. Macro Factors - The company is currently managing the impact of tariffs, having reduced goods sourced from China by 10% [10]. - There is concern regarding a potential U.S. recession, which could lead to decreased consumer discretionary spending and negatively affect demand for Five Below's products [11]. Valuation Considerations - The stock's price-to-earnings ratio has increased from 12.2 to 25.8, indicating that it is no longer considered a bargain [12]. - Despite the higher valuation, growth-oriented investors may still find Five Below an attractive addition to their portfolios [13].

Market Volatility & Investment Strategy - The market has shown resilience with a V-shaped recovery, and investors should embrace volatility as it favors long-term value buyers [1] - Despite major market averages being in the black for the year, many individual stocks, especially in the Russell 2000, are still down significantly, presenting value opportunities [4] - Stock picking is expected to outperform buying indexes, offering better sleep-at-night valuations and generous dividend yields [11] Undervalued Sectors & Stocks - The energy sector, particularly Sevitas Resources, is attractive due to being hit hard, offering a big dividend yield and low PE ratio while remaining profitable [5][6] - Pharmaceutical companies like Merc are viewed as high quality, trading at a PE around 11 with a 4% dividend yield, lower than its historical valuation [6] - Whirlpool, the appliance maker, offers a yield over 7% with a PE in the 9-10 range, anticipating support from lower interest rates later in the year [8] - Target, the discount retailer, has a low valuation relative to its history and a dividend yield pushing 5% [8][9] - UPS, the package shipping company, aligns with the theme of low valuations and generous dividend yields [9] Economic Outlook & Fed Policy - Good news rate cuts are anticipated throughout the year, although immediate cuts are unlikely due to tariff uncertainties and high inflation expectations [12][13] - Historically, stocks have performed well regardless of Fed tightening or easing, rising or falling interest rates, or high or low inflation [14] - Value stocks have historically lost only a couple percent on average during recessions, with spectacular returns of 30-40% coming out of recessions [15][16] Portfolio Valuation - The portfolio's forward earnings trade at 14 times, compared to the S&P 500's 23 times forward earnings [10] - The portfolio's overall dividend yield is 250 basis points (25%) versus 130 basis points (13%) for the S&P 500 [10]