Market Overview - U.S. stocks traded lower, with the Dow Jones index falling more than 150 points, down 0.39% to 41,888.10, NASDAQ down 0.83% to 18,987.25, and S&P 500 down 0.44% to 5,866.61 [1] - Utilities shares increased by 1.2%, while health care stocks decreased by 1.4% [1] Walmart Earnings - Walmart Inc. reported first-quarter FY26 sales growth of 2.5% year-on-year to $165.60 billion, slightly missing the analyst consensus estimate of $165.88 billion [2] - The retailer's adjusted EPS was 61 cents, surpassing the consensus estimate of 58 cents [2] Walmart Outlook - For fiscal year 2026, Walmart reaffirmed an adjusted EPS outlook of $2.50 – $2.60, compared to the $2.61 estimate, and sales guidance of $694.70 billion – $701.50 billion, versus the street view of $705.30 billion [3] Commodity Market - Oil prices fell by 2.3% to $61.73, while gold prices increased by 0.2% to $3,195.80 [6] - Silver prices decreased by 0.2% to $32.375, and copper fell by 0.4% to $4.6300 [6] Asian Market Performance - Asian markets closed mostly lower, with Japan's Nikkei down 0.98%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index down 0.79%, and China's Shanghai Composite Index down 0.68% [8] - Click Holdings Limited shares surged 270% to $1.0100 after announcing a cooperation agreement [8] - Graphjet Technology shares increased by 97% to $0.1913 following a significant stake disclosure by its Co-Founder [8] - Foot Locker, Inc. shares rose 83% to $23.52 after DICK's Sporting Goods agreed to acquire the company [8] - Healthcare Triangle, Inc. shares dropped 82% to $0.0402, and NanoVibronix, Inc. shares fell 63% to $1.4299 after announcing a public offering [8] - REE Automotive Ltd. shares decreased by 54% to $1.52 following fourth-quarter financial results and a pause in production plans [8] Economic Indicators - U.S. industrial production remained little changed in April, against market estimates of a 0.2% rise [12] - The Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index increased by 22 points to -4.0 in May, while the NY Empire State Manufacturing Index declined to -9.2 [12] - Initial jobless claims remained unchanged at 229,000 for the week ending May 10 [12] - U.S. retail sales increased by 0.1% month-over-month in April, compared to a revised 1.7% gain in March [12] - U.S. producer prices declined by 0.5% in April, against market estimates of a 0.2% gain [12]

Core Viewpoint - Guiyang has made significant progress in developing its nighttime economy since the implementation of the "Accelerating the Construction of 'Brilliant Night Guiyang'" plan in July 2022, focusing on various nighttime activities to enhance urban branding and economic growth [2] Nighttime Economy Segments - Night dining is the leading segment, accounting for approximately 48% of the nighttime economy, with projected restaurant revenue of 27.211 billion yuan in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 9.9%, and nighttime dining revenue estimated at 19.05 billion yuan, representing 70% of total dining revenue [2] - Night shopping is the second-largest segment, making up about 32% of the nighttime economy, with the establishment of a "5+10+25" urban nighttime consumption space layout, including five provincial-level commercial circles and ten provincial-level nighttime consumption gathering areas [2] - Night tourism has seen the recognition of key areas like Qingyan Ancient Town and Qingyun Road as national-level nighttime cultural tourism consumption clusters, with significant visitor numbers during the "May Day" holiday [3] - Night entertainment has flourished with hundreds of nighttime performances and events, including street music concerts that attracted 150,000 attendees during the "May Day" holiday, boosting local hotel occupancy rates [3] - Night reading initiatives have been implemented with extended hours for public cultural spaces and community libraries, enhancing access to reading materials [4] - Night accommodation has expanded with 340 registered lodging establishments, including various star-rated hotels and high-grade inns, contributing to the overall nighttime economy [4] - Night sports facilities have increased, with over 2,000 venues open at night, catering to more than 1 million residents engaged in nighttime physical activities [5] - Night appreciation activities, such as city light shows and scenic spots, have been promoted in collaboration with travel platforms, enhancing the city's nighttime appeal [5]

Forward-Looking Statements This presentation contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this presentation are forward- looking statements. You can identify forward-looking statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements may include words such as "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project," "plan," "intend," "believe," "outlook" and other words o ...

Wall Street expects a year-over-year decline in earnings on lower revenues when Target (TGT) reports results for the quarter ended April 2025. While this widely-known consensus outlook is important in gauging the company's earnings picture, a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on May 21. On the other ...

Investors have gravitated to companies enacting forward stock splits A stock split is a tool public companies can lean on to cosmetically alter their share price and outstanding share count by the same factor. The "cosmetic" aspect of splits pertains to them not impacting a company's market cap or in any way affecting underlying operating performance. There are two types of stock splits, and investors treat them very differently. Reverse splits, which aim to increase a company's share price, are often frown ...

Group 1: Earnings Overview - Earnings season is currently active, primarily focused on retailers, with overall positive results from S&P 500 companies despite ongoing uncertainties [1] - Walmart (WMT) is set to report earnings this week, with shares having increased over 60% in the past year, outperforming all but Tesla among the "Magnificent Seven" [2][3] Group 2: Walmart's Earnings Expectations - Analysts have lowered EPS expectations for Walmart's upcoming release to $0.57, a decrease of approximately 12% since mid-February, with anticipated earnings declining 5% year-over-year [4] - Forecasted sales for Walmart are projected at $165.6 billion, indicating a 2.5% growth compared to the previous year, while the downward EPS revisions suggest a profitability challenge [4] Group 3: Key Performance Indicators - Digital sales have shown significant growth, with a 16% year-over-year increase in global eCommerce sales, driven by store-fulfilled pickup and delivery [9] - Same-store sales (excluding fuel) are expected to rise by 4% year-over-year, down from 4.9% and 5.5% in the previous periods [10] Group 4: Valuation and Market Position - Walmart shares are currently trading at a forward 12-month earnings multiple of 36.2X, significantly above the five-year median of 23.9X, reflecting a 75% premium compared to the S&P 500 [11] - The elevated earnings multiple is attributed to Walmart's digital and operational successes, with investors anticipating continued growth trends [11] Group 5: Strategic Insights - Walmart's ability to navigate consumer downturns is a notable strength, as higher-income households tend to shop at Walmart during economic challenges, providing a buffer against affordability issues [14]

Core Viewpoint - Foot Locker Inc's stock experienced a significant surge due to a surprise tariff deal between the U.S. and China, but it still faces substantial year-over-year and year-to-date declines [1] Group 1: Stock Performance - Foot Locker's stock rose 10.6% on Monday and is currently trading at $13.39, marking an 8.7% increase in May [1] - Despite the recent gains, the stock has a 41.3% deficit year-over-year and is down 38.7% year-to-date [1] Group 2: Technical Analysis - The stock is approaching a historically bearish trendline, specifically its 50-day moving average, which has been a critical level in the past [2] - In the last three years, similar approaches to this trendline have resulted in a decline 77% of the time, averaging a 6.5% drop one month later [2] - A comparable decline from the current price could bring shares below $12.50, close to their 15-year low of $11 reached on April 16 [2] Group 3: Options Market Sentiment - The 10-day put/call volume ratio for Foot Locker is at 14.77, ranking in the 96th percentile of annual readings, indicating unusually bullish sentiment among short-term options traders [3] - This lopsided optimism in the options market could create headwinds for the stock in the event of a pullback [3]

The retail sector is in focus with big retailers like Walmart (WMT) , Home Depot (HD) , Lowe’s (LOW) and Target (TGT), as well as store channels like Nordstrom (JWN) and Kohl’s (KSS), due to report earnings. So far, 20 out of 33 retailers on the S&P 500 Index have already reported. Earnings of these companies are up 20.2% from the same period last year on 6.9% higher revenues, with 55% beating EPS estimates and 45% beating revenue estimates. Overall, the retail sector is expected to report earnings growth o ...

Core Viewpoint - The shipping sector is experiencing significant gains, with notable stock performances from companies like Ningbo Shipping and China National Offshore Oil Corporation, indicating a bullish trend in the industry. Group 1: Shipping Sector Performance - Ningbo Shipping has reached a daily limit up, indicating strong investor interest and confidence in the company [1] - China National Offshore Oil Corporation's stock has increased by over 18%, reflecting positive market sentiment towards the company [1] - Other shipping companies such as Ningbo Ocean, COSCO Shipping Holdings, and Phoenix Shipping are also showing strong performance, contributing to the overall bullish trend in the shipping sector [1] Group 2: Market Indices and Trends - The A-share market opened with all three major indices rising, with the ChiNext Index up by 1.29%, indicating a positive market environment [2] - The Hang Seng Index opened down by 0.23%, while the Hang Seng Tech Index fell by 0.29%, suggesting mixed performance in the Hong Kong market [3] - The shipping sector, along with retail, AI PC, and Apple-related concepts, is among the top gainers in the A-share market [2]

Investment Rating - The report highlights ten stock picks rated as "Buy" that are expected to be resilient in the current uncertain economic environment [11][23]. Core Insights - The initial sell-off in the market was broad-based, with 99% of S&P 500 stocks declining, but the recovery has been uneven, primarily driven by technology stocks [3][11]. - A bottom-up approach is recommended to understand how policies impact individual companies, especially in light of ongoing macroeconomic and policy uncertainties [4][11]. - The report anticipates continued volatility in equity markets as macro and micro data worsen, with a focus on defensive sectors [4][11]. Summary by Relevant Sections Market Overview - The S&P 500 has outperformed the equal-weighted index, with a significant contribution from technology stocks, while many sectors, particularly recession-resilient ones like healthcare, remain below pre-sell-off levels [3][22][19]. - Only 35% of S&P 500 stocks have recovered to pre-Liberation Day levels, indicating a challenging recovery landscape [3][11]. Stock Picks - **AIG (AIG US)**: Rated "Buy" with a target price of USD 93.00, expected to benefit from its solid risk management and low leverage [6][23]. - **American Tower (AMT US)**: Rated "Buy" with a target price of USD 245.00, noted for its geographical diversification and resilience in a high-tariff environment [6][24]. - **Coca-Cola (KO US)**: Rated "Buy" with a target price of USD 82.00, positioned to leverage its brand strength and local sourcing to mitigate tariff impacts [6][29]. - **Johnson & Johnson (JNJ US)**: Rated "Buy" with a target price of USD 184.00, recognized for its diversified portfolio and strong R&D pipeline [6][30]. - **McDonald's (MCD US)**: Rated "Buy" with a target price of USD 343.00, expected to benefit from its franchise model and focus on affordability [6][34]. - **Oracle (ORCL US)**: Rated "Buy" with a target price of USD 246.00, anticipated to capitalize on AI demand and improve revenue growth [6][37]. - **Procter & Gamble (PG US)**: Rated "Buy" with a target price of USD 185.00, noted for its strong brand equity and global supply chain [6][40]. - **TechnipFMC (FTI US)**: Rated "Buy" with a target price of USD 36.00, positioned to benefit from its operational efficiencies [6][43]. - **Walmart (WMT US)**: Rated "Buy" with a target price of USD 108.00, expected to maintain its market position amid economic challenges [6]. - **Waste Management (WM US)**: Rated "Buy" with a target price of USD 265.00, recognized for its stable revenue model [6].