Core Viewpoint - Bath & Body Works, Inc. reported disappointing third-quarter results, missing earnings expectations and lowering its full-year outlook, indicating a decline in discretionary consumer spending as the holiday season approaches [1][5]. Financial Performance - The company reported third-quarter adjusted earnings per share of 35 cents, below the expected 40 cents [1]. - Quarterly sales were $1.594 billion, a 1% decrease year over year, missing the analyst consensus estimate of $1.634 billion [2]. - Gross profit for the quarter was $658 million, down from $700 million a year ago, with a gross profit margin of 41.3%, a decline of 220 basis points year over year [3]. Margin and Operating Income - Merchandise margin dropped by approximately 260 basis points, impacted by a ~$35 million tariff hit, which accounted for about 200 basis points [4]. - Operating income was $161 million, down from $218 million a year ago, with an operating margin of 10.1%, a decrease of 340 basis points [4]. Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2025 Outlook - The company anticipates fourth-quarter sales to decline in the high-single-digit range due to a challenging holiday season and weakening consumer sentiment [6]. - The full-year outlook has been revised to low-single-digit sales declines, with adjusted EPS now expected to be at least $2.87, significantly lower than the previous range of $3.35–$3.60 and the consensus estimate of $3.44 [9]. - The projected gross profit rate for the full year is approximately 43.3%, factoring in a ~100-basis-point tariff drag [9]. Cost Management - SG&A rate is expected to be about 24%, reflecting deleverage from softer sales but supported by tight cost controls [7]. - Adjusted SG&A is projected at about 28.3% due to weaker sales [10].

Walmart, the world’s biggest retailer, said it will move its stock listing to the Nasdaq, marking the largest defection in the New York Stock Exchange’s history. https://t.co/ICyuRfZuI4 ...

Group 1 - The Federal Reserve is leaning towards a pause in interest rate hikes in December, indicating a potential shift in monetary policy [1] - The competition in the sports streaming industry is intensifying, with various platforms vying for market share and subscriber growth [1] - Target's incoming CEO is expected to face significant challenges as the company navigates a competitive retail landscape and changing consumer preferences [1]

Group 1: Employment Data - The September nonfarm payrolls are expected to add 50,000 jobs, an increase from the 22,000 estimated in August, with the unemployment rate projected to remain at 4.3% [5] - The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) revised its employment growth number for the year ending March 31, 2025, down by 911,000 jobs [5] - The BLS canceled the October jobs report due to the inability to collect household survey data retroactively [6] Group 2: Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery - Netflix has indicated it will continue to release Warner Bros. films in theaters if it acquires the studio, despite previously limiting theatrical releases [7] - Warner Bros. has contractual obligations for theatrical releases that Netflix plans to honor [8] - Paramount Skydance's latest bid for Warner Bros. is expected to be around $23.50 per share, while Netflix and Comcast are interested in the streaming and studio operations [9][10] Group 3: ByteDance Valuation - A Chinese investment firm purchased a block of ByteDance shares at a valuation of $480 billion, indicating strong investor interest in the parent company of TikTok [11] - The stock block was priced at approximately $200 million, with a previous valuation of $360 billion for ByteDance [12]

Core Insights - The retailer has revised its profit forecast downward due to a decline in both sales and earnings [1] Group 1 - The company experienced a drop in sales, which has directly impacted its earnings [1] - As a result of the sales decline, the company has adjusted its profit outlook for the upcoming period [1]

Market Overview - U.S. stock futures rose on Thursday following Wednesday's advances, with major benchmark indices showing positive movement [1] - Investors are anticipating September's job report, which is set to be released after the recent government shutdown [1] - The Federal Reserve's FOMC minutes revealed a division among officials regarding future interest rate paths, following a reduction in the federal funds target range to 3.75%–4.00% [1] Treasury Yields and Market Projections - The 10-year Treasury bond yielded 4.13%, while the two-year bond was at 3.60% [2] - Market projections indicate a 33.8% likelihood of the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates during its December meeting [2] Stock Performance - Major indices showed the following premarket changes: Dow Jones up 0.44%, S&P 500 up 1.08%, Nasdaq 100 up 1.47%, and Russell 2000 up 0.61% [2] - The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) increased by 1.01% to $669.35, and the Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (QQQ) rose by 1.37% to $608.07 [2] Company Highlights - Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) rose 5.55% after reporting better-than-expected third-quarter results and a strong revenue forecast [6] - Palo Alto Networks Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW) dropped 4.15% despite beating estimates, as its full-year guidance aligned with analyst expectations [6] - Super Micro Computer Inc. (NASDAQ:SMCI) gained 5.87% following the launch of integrated AI factory systems with Nvidia's technology [6] - Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) was up 0.83% ahead of its earnings report, with expectations of earnings at 60 cents per share on revenue of $177.43 billion [12] - Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU) increased by 0.37%, with analysts expecting earnings of $3.09 per share on revenue of $3.76 billion [12] Sector Performance - Information technology, communication services, and materials stocks led gains on Wednesday, while energy and utilities sectors closed lower [7] Analyst Insights - BlackRock maintains a "pro-risk stance" focused on U.S. equities and the AI theme, believing a cooling labor market may allow for interest rate cuts [9] - Despite volatility in tech stocks, BlackRock views the capital-intensive phase of AI development as a necessary step, supported by strong earnings from leading AI companies [10]

Market Overview - U.S. stock futures rose on Thursday following gains from the previous day, with major benchmark indices showing positive movement [1] - Investors are anticipating September's job report, which is set to be released after the recent government shutdown [1] - The Federal Reserve's minutes indicate a division among officials regarding future interest rate paths, following a recent reduction in the federal funds target range to 3.75%–4.00% [1] Treasury Yields and Market Projections - The 10-year Treasury bond yielded 4.13%, while the two-year bond was at 3.60% [2] - Market projections show a 33.8% likelihood of the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates in December [2] Stock Performance - Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) rose 5.55% in premarket trading after reporting better-than-expected third-quarter results and a strong revenue forecast [6] - Palo Alto Networks Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW) dropped 4.15% despite beating estimates, as its full-year guidance aligned with analyst expectations [6] - Super Micro Computer Inc. (NASDAQ:SMCI) gained 5.87% following the launch of integrated AI factory systems with Nvidia's technology [6] Sector Performance - Information technology, communication services, and materials stocks led gains on Wednesday, while energy and utilities sectors closed lower [7] Analyst Insights - BlackRock maintains a "pro-risk stance" focused on U.S. equities and the AI theme, believing a cooling labor market may allow for interest rate cuts [9] - Despite volatility in tech stocks, BlackRock views the capital-intensive phase of AI development as necessary rather than a warning sign [10] Upcoming Earnings - Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) was up 0.83% ahead of its earnings report, with expectations of earnings at 60 cents per share on revenue of $177.43 billion [12] - Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU) was 0.37% higher, with analysts expecting earnings of $3.09 per share on revenue of $3.76 billion [12]

Retailer JD Sports said it is taking a “pragmatic approach” to its outlook after its like-for-like sales dropped 1.7% in the third quarter https://t.co/kHqvoBtuFu ...

Group 1: Earnings Reports and Expectations - Walmart Inc. is expected to report quarterly earnings of 60 cents per share on revenue of $177.43 billion [2] - Maximus Inc. is anticipated to post quarterly earnings of $1.67 per share on revenue of $1.34 billion [2] - Intuit Inc. is projected to report quarterly earnings of $3.09 per share on revenue of $3.76 billion [2] Group 2: Company Performance and Stock Movements - Walmart shares rose 1% to $101.65 in after-hours trading [2] - Palo Alto Networks Inc. reported strong first-quarter results for fiscal 2026 and raised its guidance, but shares fell 3.7% to $192.51 [2] - Nvidia Corp. reported third-quarter revenue of $57.0 billion, a 62% increase year-over-year, exceeding expectations, and shares gained 5.1% to $196.00 [2]

Core Insights - The Retail sector is showing strong earnings growth in Q3, with S&P 500 retailers reporting an 18.5% increase in earnings and an 8.4% rise in revenues compared to the previous year [4][6] - The overall S&P 500 index is also performing well, with total earnings up 14.0% and revenues up 7.9% [6] - The Retail sector's performance is characterized by a solid top-line growth and a significant percentage of companies beating earnings and revenue estimates [8] Retail Sector Performance - For the S&P 500 index, 76.7% of retailers have reported Q3 results, with 69.6% beating EPS estimates and 82.6% beating revenue estimates [4][6] - In the S&P 600 index, 69.7% of retailers reported earnings up 17.9% and revenues up 6.1%, with 60.9% beating EPS estimates and 69.6% beating revenue estimates [9] Historical Context - The growth rates for the Retail sector's Q3 earnings and revenues are being compared to historical data, showing a positive trend [5][10] - Amazon's contribution to the Retail sector's growth is notable, with its Q3 earnings up 29.3% and revenues up 11.9%, largely driven by its cloud computing business [7] Future Outlook - Total S&P 500 earnings for Q3 are expected to increase by 14.8% with an 8.1% rise in revenues when combining reported results with estimates for upcoming reports [14] - Recent trends indicate a slight decline in Q4 estimates, contrasting with earlier positive revisions during the Q3 reporting cycle [19]