The retail turnover (including VAT) of Apranga Group amounted to EUR 36.8 million in December 2025 and increased by 0.4% in comparison to December 2024. The retail turnover (including VAT) of Apranga Group totaled EUR 105.9 million in Q4 2025 and increased by 3.0% year-on-year. In Q4 2025, the retail turnover of Apranga Group in Lithuania increased by 3.3%, in Latvia increased by 4.8% and in Estonia decreased by -1.7% year-on-year. The unaudited year 2025 retail turnover (including VAT) of Apranga Group rea ...

Core Insights - Retail store sales were flat in October, following a growth of 0.1% in September, which was below the expectations of economists who anticipated a growth of 0.1% for October [1] Summary by Category - **Sales Performance** - October retail sales showed no growth, remaining flat compared to the previous month [1] - September sales had a slight increase of 0.1% [1] - **Economic Expectations** - Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had forecasted a growth of 0.1% for October, indicating a discrepancy between expectations and actual performance [1]

For decades, one of Latin America’s most powerful businessmen built his fortune the old-fashioned way, through stores, banks, telecom networks and media companies that millions of people rely on every day. Ricardo Salinas, the Mexican billionaire had a sprawling corporate empire spanning retail, telecommunications, banking and media. His companies serve tens of millions of customers across Mexico and beyond, cementing his status as one of the region’s most influential executives and one of its wealthiest ...

Core Insights - Apranga Group's retail turnover in November 2025 reached EUR 34.4 million, marking a 4.0% increase compared to November 2024 [1] - For the period of January-November 2025, the retail turnover totaled EUR 334.8 million, reflecting a 5.5% growth year-on-year [1] - In the same period, retail turnover in Lithuania rose by 7.2%, in Latvia by 5.1%, while Estonia experienced a decline of 1.2% [1] Company Operations - Apranga Group operates a total of 171 stores, with 103 located in Lithuania, 44 in Latvia, and 24 in Estonia [2] - The total gross area of the stores is 92.7 thousand square meters, which is an increase of 0.8% from the previous year [2]

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the reliability of Wall Street analysts' recommendations, particularly focusing on Ross Stores (ROST), and emphasizes the importance of using these recommendations in conjunction with other analytical tools like the Zacks Rank for making informed investment decisions [1][5]. Group 1: Brokerage Recommendations - Ross Stores has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.60, indicating a rating between Strong Buy and Buy, based on recommendations from 20 brokerage firms [2]. - Out of the 20 recommendations, 14 are classified as Strong Buy, accounting for 70% of all recommendations [2]. Group 2: Limitations of Brokerage Recommendations - Studies indicate that brokerage recommendations have limited success in guiding investors towards stocks with the highest price increase potential [5]. - Analysts from brokerage firms tend to exhibit a strong positive bias in their ratings, often issuing five "Strong Buy" recommendations for every "Strong Sell" [6][11]. - The interests of brokerage firms may not align with those of retail investors, leading to potential misguidance regarding stock price movements [7][11]. Group 3: Zacks Rank as an Alternative - The Zacks Rank is presented as a more reliable indicator of a stock's near-term price performance, based on earnings estimate revisions, and is classified into five groups from Strong Buy to Strong Sell [8][12]. - The Zacks Rank is updated more frequently than the ABR, reflecting timely changes in earnings estimates and business trends [13]. - For Ross Stores, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has increased by 4.4% to $6.36, indicating positive sentiment among analysts regarding the company's earnings prospects [14]. Group 4: Investment Implications - The recent change in the consensus estimate and other factors have led to a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy) for Ross Stores, suggesting that the Buy-equivalent ABR may serve as a useful guide for investors [15].

Group 1 - The article discusses the unique business model of Ross Stores (ROST), which is not found in Brazil, highlighting its interesting appeal [1] - The author emphasizes a fundamental analysis approach as a value investor, focusing on identifying undervalued stocks with growth potential [1] Group 2 - There is no relevant content regarding company performance, financial metrics, or industry trends in the provided documents [2]

Market Overview - Japan's Nikkei share average fell 3% on Tuesday, marking its largest decline in over seven months, with the index dropping as much as 3.3% to 48,661.52, its lowest level since October 23 [1][7] - The broader Topix index also declined by 2.49% to 3,264.11 [1][7] Investor Sentiment - Investor sentiment worsened significantly after the Nikkei fell below the key 50,000 level, leading to an accelerated sell-off [1][7] - Some investors expressed interest in buying shares on a dip but chose to wait for further declines before making purchases [2][7] U.S. Market Influence - U.S. stocks ended sharply lower, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq closing below a key technical indicator for the first time since late April, as investors anticipated quarterly results from retailers and Nvidia [2][7] - Nvidia, a major player in the AI sector and the world's largest company by market value, is set to report earnings after the market closes on Wednesday [5][7] Sector Performance - High-profile technology stocks experienced significant sell-offs, a common trend when investors adopt a risk-off approach [6][7] - Fibre optic cable manufacturers, which benefit from the AI trade, saw declines, with Fujikura and Sumitomo Electric Industries losing 9% and 7.45%, respectively [6][7] - Retail stocks, including Ryohin Keikaku, which operates Muji brand stores, fell sharply after a previous session decline of 9.4%, influenced by China's travel warning to its citizens regarding Japan amid diplomatic tensions over Taiwan [6][7]

Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. For decades, shoppers have been chasing airline miles and cashback points, but a new type of reward may be gaining traction. Instead of loyalty points that can expire or lose value, consumers can now earn Bitcoin rewards on purchases at retailers like Amazon, Target, and Apple. The Decline of Traditional Loyalty Points Frequent flyer miles and retail reward points have long been the go-to for shoppers loo ...

Economic Overview - The U.S. Labor Department will not publish its economic report for the second consecutive month due to the ongoing government shutdown, which is now the longest on record [1] - The lack of official employment data makes it difficult to assess the jobs market, and anecdotal evidence does not inspire confidence [1] Layoff Announcements - Major employers such as Amazon, UPS, and Target have announced plans to lay off tens of thousands of workers in the coming weeks [2] - Target plans to eliminate 1,800 corporate jobs, marking its second-largest corporate downsizing [6] - Amazon is set to lay off 14,000 corporate employees across multiple departments to reduce bureaucracy [6] - UPS has cut about 48,000 jobs this year, including 34,000 positions through its efficiency program [6] Job Market Metrics - U.S. companies announced the fewest number of new jobs since 2011, with 153,074 job cuts in October, nearly triple the 55,597 cuts from the same month last year [4] - Job losses in October are up 183% from September, indicating a significant downturn in the job market [4] Year-to-Date Job Cuts - Through October, employers have announced 1.1 million job cuts, a 65% year-over-year increase from 665,000 cuts through October last year [10] - Job cuts in 2025 are on track to be the worst since 2020, with 44% more jobs cut through October than in all of 2024 [10] Contributing Factors - Reasons for the job cuts include correcting headcount after overhiring during the COVID-19 pandemic, softening consumer and corporate spending, and rising costs due to hiring freezes [7] - The adoption of AI is also mentioned as a factor influencing job market dynamics [8] Impact on Job Seekers - The current wave of layoffs is creating a snowball effect, making it harder for those laid off to secure new roles, which could further loosen the labor market [9]

Core Insights - The retail turnover of Apranga Group in October 2025 was EUR 34.7 million, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 4.9% compared to October 2024 [1] - For the period of January to October 2025, the retail turnover reached EUR 300.5 million, marking a 5.6% increase compared to the same period in 2024 [1] - In the same timeframe, retail turnover in Lithuania rose by 7.5%, in Latvia by 5.4%, while Estonia saw a decline of 1.3% [1] Company Operations - Apranga Group operates a total of 171 stores, with 103 located in Lithuania, 44 in Latvia, and 24 in Estonia, covering a gross area of 92.7 thousand square meters, which is an increase of 0.8% from the previous year [2]