U.S. stock futures are mostly flat as markets head into a week with gains, with the S&P 500 on track for its fourth weekly increase, driven by strong seasonal trends and positive earnings reports like Ross Stores' record performance, despite ongoing economic and geopolitical concerns.
Ross Stores is facing stagnant sales and declining customer visits due to inflation, changing consumer preferences, and rising tariffs, prompting the company to consider price adjustments and cost management strategies to mitigate short-term profitability pressures.
Ross Stores is facing stagnant sales and declining customer visits due to inflation and tariffs, prompting the company to consider cautious pricing adjustments and sourcing changes to mitigate profit impacts amid shifting consumer spending habits.
Nordstrom's shares drop in after-hours trading as the retailer's fourth-quarter earnings beat is overshadowed by a disappointing full-year forecast, while Ross Stores experiences fluctuating movements after reporting a fourth-quarter earnings beat on both the top and bottom lines, with comparable sales growing 7% and full-year guidance falling below Wall Street expectations.
Gap's stock (GPS) surged over 30% after the company reported better-than-expected Q3 earnings, with adjusted earnings of 59 cents per share and net sales of $3.77 billion. Comparable sales were down 2%, driven by a 6% decline in same-store sales. Online sales decreased 8%. Ross Stores (ROST) also saw a breakout in its stock, rising 7.2% after reporting a 33% increase in earnings to $1.33 per share and net sales of $4.92 billion for Q3. Comparable store sales increased 5%.
U.S. equities were little changed at midday, but on track for a winning week as reports of slowing inflation boosted optimism that the Fed would not raise interest rates. Ross Stores exceeded expectations with strong earnings, revenue, and same-store sales as consumers sought savings at the off-price retailer. Copart also saw a jump in shares after posting better-than-expected results. Applied Materials shares sank as the company faces a Department of Justice investigation for allegedly sending chipmaking equipment to Chinese chipmaker SMIC without export licenses. Alphabet shares declined as Google announced a delay in the release of its AI product to compete with OpenAI.
U.S. equities are set for a third-straight week of gains as S&P 500 futures edge higher. Gap posts better-than-expected Q3 results, prompting Wall Street firms to raise price targets. Citi raises price target on Ross Stores and recommends focusing on TJX Companies. Morgan Stanley cuts price target on Walmart but maintains an overweight rating. Citi upgrades Zoom Video Communications to neutral but warns of competition from Microsoft. Barclays raises price target on Crowdstrike ahead of earnings report. Wells Fargo lowers price target on Okta due to concerns about customer attrition. Bath & Body Works faces multiple price-target cuts. Applied Materials receives price-target increases despite criminal investigation report. Bank of America downgrades Marriott Vacations on disappointing Q3 results.
Applied Materials and Ross Stores saw their stocks rise in after-hours trading after beating analysts' expectations in their quarterly results. Bill Holdings reported better-than-expected earnings but issued a weak outlook for the next quarter. Keysight Technologies provided a bleak forecast for its fiscal fourth quarter, causing its shares to drop. Farfetch experienced a significant decline in its stock price after posting second-quarter revenue that missed estimates.