Worawith Ounpeng/iStock via Getty Images Listen below or on the go on Apple Podcasts and Spotify The CPI hits on Thursday with eyes on prices amid recession concerns. (0:17) Kroger earnings could benefit from a switch to value. (2:23) OpenAI boosts spending outlook to $115B. (3:18) The following is an abridged transcript: The pendulum swings from one part of the Federal Reserve’s dual mandate to the other this week, moving from full employment to price stability. Last week saw the weak August payroll ...

Macy's (M) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.41 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.19 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.53 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +115.79%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this department store operator would post earnings of $0.14 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.16, delivering a surprise of +14.29%.Over the last four quarters, the ...

Core Viewpoint - Kroger's stock has recently experienced a decline of 5.2% over the past four weeks, but the formation of a hammer chart pattern suggests potential support and a possible trend reversal in the future [1][2]. Technical Analysis - The hammer chart pattern indicates a minor difference between opening and closing prices, with a long lower wick, suggesting that the stock may have found support after a downtrend [4][5]. - This pattern typically signals that bears may have lost control, indicating a potential trend reversal as buying interest emerges [5]. Fundamental Analysis - There has been a positive trend in earnings estimate revisions for Kroger, which is considered a bullish indicator and may lead to price appreciation [7]. - Over the last 30 days, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased by 0.1%, indicating that analysts expect better earnings than previously predicted [8]. - Kroger currently holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), placing it in the top 20% of over 4,000 ranked stocks, which typically outperform the market [9][10].

Company Strategy & Performance - Spar Group initially expanded overseas due to South African investment restrictions, seeking to be proxies in other markets for investment managers [2][3] - Spar Group divested its Swiss and UK businesses due to subscale operations and high capital requirements to meet strategic ambitions [5] - Spar is refocusing on its home market in South Africa, expanding its DIY, pharmacy, and liquor operations [6] - Spar's African revenue has significantly outpaced its European revenue in recent years [4] - Spar aims to compete with Shoprite, currently being the second biggest supermarket brand in South Africa [8] Market Dynamics & Opportunities - South Africa has a high density of retail space with over 1400 shopping malls [1] - Liquor shops in South Africa are expanding rapidly, growing almost twice as quickly as conventional supermarkets [7] - Spar's liquor brand, Tops, has become the single biggest retail liquor brand in South Africa through independent retailers [7] - Groceries in Switzerland are often 50% more expensive than in neighboring European countries due to strong trade protection measures [4]

Group 1 - Dino Polska operates Poland's fastest-growing supermarket chain with medium-sized stores and standardized designs, facilitating rapid expansion [1] - The company has achieved significant success in recent years, indicating strong market performance and growth potential [1] Group 2 - The investment philosophy emphasizes value investing, focusing on acquiring shares at prices below their intrinsic value to ensure a margin of safety [1] - Long-term investment strategy is preferred, with a disregard for short-term market volatility, which is viewed as a non-risk factor [1] - Influential investors such as Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, Peter Lynch, and Mohnish Pabrai are cited as inspirations for the investment approach [1]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Group sales for FY25 increased by 3.6% to $69.1 billion, with sales growth in all operating segments [22][23] - Group EBIT before significant items was $2.8 billion, a decrease of 12.6% compared to the prior year, primarily due to lower EBIT from Australian Food and BIG W [23][24] - Group NPAT attributable to equity holders before significant items was $1.4 billion, a decrease of 17.1% [25] - Group ROCE was 13.7%, down 194 basis points compared to the prior year [25][31] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Australian Food sales increased by 3.1% to $51.5 billion, benefiting from strong e-commerce growth of 17.4% [25][26] - BIG W recorded a full-year sales increase of 1.1%, with a loss of $35 million for the year [29] - E-commerce sales in Australian Food grew by 17.4%, with 87% of orders fulfilled within 24 hours [12][13] - Cartology revenue increased by 19.5%, contributing positively to the group's performance [20] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - New Zealand sales increased by 3.4% in FY25, with a strong EBIT performance increasing by 40.6% [28] - The Australian B2B segment saw sales growth of 4.1%, driven by double-digit earnings growth in PFD and PC Plus [27][28] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to be the first choice for customers for the freshest Australian food, improve returns in New Zealand Food and BIG W, and grow complementary businesses [41][44] - A focus on delivering consistently good customer experiences and establishing price trust is emphasized [45][46] - The company plans to invest in lowering prices and improving retail execution to enhance customer perception [50][56] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged challenges in FY25, including cost of living pressures and industrial action, but noted early positive signs with improving customer scores [4][5] - For FY26, the company expects mid to high single-digit EBIT growth driven by strategic priorities and a more stable operating environment [55][57] - Management is confident in the ability to deliver long-term sustainable growth despite near-term challenges [57] Other Important Information - The company completed its five-year sustainability plan, delivering an estimated $2.6 billion in net societal benefit [21] - A final dividend of $0.45 per share was approved, bringing the total ordinary dividend for the year to $0.84 [39] Q&A Session Summary Question: Online profitability improvement - Management is focused on optimizing picking and packing processes and enhancing customer experience to improve e-commerce profitability [60][61][62] Question: Investment confidence and competitive positioning - Management emphasized a long-term strategy and early signs of improved customer value perception, acknowledging that momentum takes time to build [66][68] Question: Clarification on sustaining CapEx - Management clarified that capital expenditures are strictly monitored and only capitalized if they have future cash flow value, with ongoing investments aimed at modernizing supply chains and store assets [74][76][80]

27 August 2025 Woolworths Group 2025 Full Year Results For the 52 weeks ended 29 June 2025 Amanda Bardwell, Managing Director and CEO Stephen Harrison, CFO For personal use only Contents We create better experiences together for a better tomorrow 2 Woolworths Group Full Year Results 2025 For personal use only 4 F25 Group summary Amanda Bardwell 19 Group financialresults and capital management Stephen Harrison 30 Strategy update, current trading and outlook Amanda Bardwell Woolworths Group Full Year Results ...

Core Insights - Klarna has partnered with Walmart Canada to offer its flexible payment solutions, making Walmart Canada the largest retailer in the country to host Klarna's services [2][3] - The partnership allows Walmart Canada customers to utilize Klarna's buy now, pay later (BNPL) option both online and in-store, with the ability to split purchases over $50 Canadian into four installments [3][4] - Klarna has secured significant funding, including a $26 billion agreement with Nelnet and a €1.4 billion ($1.6 billion) warehouse financing facility with Santander, enhancing its financial capacity [5] Company Developments - Walmart Canada aims to enhance customer experience by introducing BNPL options powered by Klarna, serving approximately 1.5 million customers daily [2][3] - Klarna has become Walmart's exclusive provider of installment loans, allowing for the integration of installment loans into Walmart's consumer finance platform, OnePay [4] Industry Trends - Research indicates that 43% of consumers would cancel a payment or purchase if BNPL options were unavailable, while 42.4% would opt for cheaper alternatives, highlighting the importance of BNPL in consumer spending [6] - Klarna holds the largest market share in the American BNPL space at 26.2%, followed by Afterpay at 21.9% and Affirm at 19.3%, indicating a competitive landscape [7]

Core Insights - EDEKA Paschmann is the first supermarket in Germany to implement Diebold Nixdorf's Vynamic® Smart Vision I Shrink Reduction solution at self-service checkouts, aimed at reducing errors and losses in transactions [1][2] - The AI-enabled technology provides real-time analysis of customer behavior, helping to identify missed scans or incorrect operations, thereby enhancing the checkout experience [2][3] - The Vynamic® Smart Vision I Age Verification solution allows for automated age verification for restricted products, freeing up staff for other customer service tasks [3][4] Technology Implementation - The Vynamic Smart Vision I Shrink Reduction uses cameras to monitor customer activities at self-service checkouts, providing immediate feedback to customers on scanning errors [2] - The system minimizes the need for employee intervention, only alerting staff for significant errors, thus streamlining the checkout process [2][5] - Both solutions are designed to be GDPR-compliant, ensuring no facial recognition or storage of customer images [4] Company Statements - Falk Paschmann, managing director of EDEKA Paschmann, emphasized the importance of customer well-being and the goal of enhancing the shopping experience through advanced technology [5] - Leyla Feghhi, head of Retail Sales in the DACH region at Diebold Nixdorf, highlighted that the technology addresses over 20 common causes of shrink, improving employee response to customer interactions [5] Future Plans - EDEKA Paschmann plans to adopt additional Diebold Nixdorf technology, specifically the Vynamic® Smart Vision | Fresh Produce Recognition for automatic identification of fruits and vegetables [5] Company Background - EDEKA Paschmann operates 11 stores with a total sales area exceeding 20,000 m² and employs over 900 staff, being part of the larger EDEKA Group [6] - Diebold Nixdorf is a global leader in automating and digitizing banking and shopping experiences, serving top financial institutions and retailers worldwide [7][8]

Group 1 - Walmart is expected to announce its fiscal second-quarter earnings on August 21, 2025, with analysts estimating earnings at 74 cents per share and revenue at $174.25 billion, reflecting a 10% year-over-year rise in adjusted earnings and a 3% growth in sales compared to last year's figures [2][4] - The company has a current market capitalization of $800 billion, with revenue reaching $685 billion over the past twelve months, generating an operational profit of $30 billion and a net income of $19 billion [4] - Approximately one-third of Walmart's U.S. merchandise is imported, with significant cost pressures from tariffs on Chinese goods, particularly in toys and electronics, which may influence future outlook [3] Group 2 - Historical trends indicate that Walmart's stock has improved 53% of the time after earnings announcements, with a median one-day increase of 3.6% and a maximum observed growth of 7% [2][7] - Over the last five years, there have been 19 earnings data points noted, with positive one-day returns occurring about 53% of the time, increasing to 64% when examining the last three years [7] - A strategy analyzing the correlation between short-term and medium-term returns after earnings can provide a competitive advantage for traders, particularly if the 1D post-earnings return is positive [8]