TGT - Target Corporation
| Previous Close | 86.80 |
| Open | 87.42 |
| Bid | 0.00 x 1200 |
| Ask | 0.00 x 900 |
| Day's Range | 87.10 - 88.82 |
| 52 Week Range | 60.15 - 90.39 |
| Volume | 4,522,552 |
| Avg. Volume | 5,220,517 |
| Market Cap | 45.244B |
| Beta (3Y Monthly) | 0.84 |
| PE Ratio (TTM) | 15.45 |
| EPS (TTM) | 5.72 |
| Earnings Date | Aug 21, 2019 |
| Forward Dividend & Yield | 2.64 (3.04%) |
| Ex-Dividend Date | 2019-08-20 |
| 1y Target Est | 88.20 |
- Yahoo Finance•14 hours ago
Here's how much Amazon Prime Day is expected to rake in this year
Amazon Prime Day 2019 is more than a quarter of the way through, and analysts are already expecting this year’s sales extravaganza to be the company’s biggest yet.
- Yahoo Finance•15 hours ago
Walmart and Target have a key advantage over Amazon when it comes to delivery
One-day delivery is a major litmus test for Amazon’s Prime Day this year, according to one expert.
- Zacks•9 hours ago
3 Sportswear Stocks to Buy as Q2 Earnings Season Heats Up
Welcome to the latest episode of the Full-Court Finance podcast from Zacks Investment Research where Associate Stock Strategist Ben Rains takes a look at three sportswear stocks to consider buying as the second quarter 2019 earnings season kicks off.
- InvestorPlace•10 hours ago
8 Penny Stocks That Have Fallen From Grace
A good rule of thumb to follow in investing is that penny stocks usually aren't good stocks. Most stocks don't IPO at prices below $10. As such, if a stock is trading below $10 or below $5, it means investors have sold the stock off to those levels, and such big selloffs aren't typically the result of good fundamentals or news.Because of this, when dealing with penny stocks, it is always important to remember that these stocks weren't birthed as penny stocks. They were birthed as regular stocks, and fell into penny stock territory due to poor fundamentals.That is especially true for the following list of 8 penny stocks that have fallen from grace. Once upon a time, each one these penny stocks was a high flyer that the market thought could be a huge success. Then, reality hit, and none of them ended up being what they were supposed to be. Investors dumped the stocks, and now, each one of these former high flyers trades in penny stock territory.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsAre these huge selloffs buying opportunities? Or are they reason to stay away? It depends. For some of these fallen-from-grace penny stocks, the selloffs are overdone. For others, they aren't. * 9 Retail Stocks Goldman Sachs Says Are Ready to Rip With that in mind, let's take a closer look at these fallen-from-grace penny stocks, and see not only why they fell from grace, but whether or not they can bounce back from here. J.C. Penney (JCP)Source: Shutterstock All-Time High (Year): $80 (2007)Current Price: $1.15Why It's Dropped: Big box department store J.C. Penney (NYSE:JCP) was once an iconic stalwart of a thriving mall industry. That was back before the 2008 Financial Crisis, and before the onset of mainstream e-commerce. Then, Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) came along, and shopping pivoted into the digital channel. Some traditional retailers kept up with the times. J.C. Penney did not. In-store performance deteriorated, and without any help from a burgeoning digital business (because there was none), financial resources were depleted and JCP stock fell off a cliff.Can It Bounce Back: JCP stock is unlikely to bounce back, for two simple reasons. One, the consumer has moved on. Between Amazon, Walmart (NYSE:WMT), Target (NYSE:TGT), Etsy (NASDAQ:ETSY), Shopify (NYSE:SHOP) stores, and more, consumers have all the stores they need to get everything they want. J.C. Penney is no longer a necessary retail destination for consumers. Two, the company is running up huge losses against the backdrop of a debt burdened balance sheet that renders the company both unable to innovate and invest, and unable to use time to its advantage. As such, the most likely path forward for JCP stock is lower. Groupon (GRPN)All Time High: $25 (2011/12)Current Price: $3.40Why It's Dropped: Once upon a time, the idea of a centralized online coupons site sounded genius, and that's why Groupon (NASDAQ:GRPN) had a pretty hot start on Wall Street. Then, the commerce world changed, as retail behemoths like Amazon, Walmart, and Target made low prices the norm (thereby somewhat eroding the need for discounts). At the same time, Groupon's growth started to flatten out, and profitability remained a huge question mark. These growth and profitability struggles have persisted for the past several years, and as they have, GRPN stock has dropped in a big way. * 5 STARS Stocks Smashing the Market (FANG Stocks, Too) Can It Bounce Back: In the long run, GRPN stock can bounce back, mostly because the company has the ability to execute an impressive turnaround through focusing on discounts for experiences (not discounts for products), and through emphasizing local sales (so as to avoid competition with the likes of Amazon, Walmart, and Target). But this turnaround is progressing at a snail's pace. Thus, while I have faith that GRPN stock can and will bounce back from these under-$5 levels, it will take time. Pier 1 (PIR)Source: Shutterstock All Time High: $500 (2013)Current Price: $6Why It's Dropped: Home furnishings retailer Pier 1 (NYSE:PIR) was once considered one of the premiere retailing destinations in a thriving physical home-goods market that was largely exempt from the e-commerce onslaught, mostly because furniture was supposedly the type of stuff consumers wanted to touch and feel. As it turns out, though, that's not true. The e-commerce trend has penetrated into the furniture market over the past several years, and as it has, sales and customers have flowed out of Pier 1 and into platforms like Wayfair (NYSE:W). Pier 1's margins and profits have consequently contracted, and PIR stock has plummeted.Can It Bounce Back: PIR stock can and should bounce back from here, but the current trends underlying the company are so negative (huge revenue drops and big margin erosion, neither of which are slowing) that betting on a PIR stock turnaround here simply seems too risky. If those trends do start to stabilize, this stock can and will bounce back in a big way. But until then, the best place to hangout is on the sidelines. Blue Apron (APRN)Source: Shutterstock All Time High: $150 (2017)Current Price: $7.50Why It's Dropped: At the time of its IPO in 2017, Blue Apron (NASDAQ:APRN) was being heralded by some as a next-generation meal kit platform that was going to change the way consumers did their grocery shopping. But old habits are hard to break, and how consumers do their grocery shopping is one of the oldest habits in the book. As such, Blue Apron's growth trajectory since its IPO has dropped into negative territory, while profitability has remained elusive. This combination of slowing growth and rising losses has driven APRN stock substantially lower. * 3 Breakout Stocks to Buy Can It Bounce Back: APRN stock will likely keep falling for the foreseeable future. Meal kit market trends remain sluggish while competitionis only increasing. Thus, Blue Apron is potentially looking at shrinking market share in an increasingly competitive and slowing growth meal kit market. That combination implies that revenue, margin and profitability struggles will persist for the foreseeable future. As they do, APRN stock's struggles will persist, too. Rite Aid (RAD)Source: Shutterstock All Time High: $1,000 (1999)Current Price: $8.65Why It's Dropped: The story at Rite Aid (NYSE:RAD) is very similar to the story at J.C. Penney. Broadly speaking, both mall retail and pharmacy have been uprooted by secular changes in consumption and flooded with tons of competition. Much like J.C. Penney, Rite Aid has struggled to keep up with these changes, and has lost market share to competitors. The result has been persistent drops in revenue, margins, and profits, against the backdrop of a debt-heavy balance sheet. That combination has ultimately scared investors away in droves, and PIR stock has come crashing down over the past several years. * 3 Retail Stocks to Buy Now Can It Bounce Back: Also much like JCP stock, RAD stock is unlikely to bounce back in the foreseeable future. Amazon has yet to truly enter the pharmacy space, but their launching of an e-pharmacy business is inevitable at this point. When that business does launch, it will provide additional competitive headwinds for Rite Aid, the sum of which will keep revenues, margins, and profits in a secular downtrend. So long as that remains true, PIR stock will continue to creep towards $0. GameStop (GME)Source: GameStop All Time High: $60 (2007)Current Price: $4.80Why It's Dropped: Before the 2008 Financial Crisis, video games were bought in stores, and the go-to place to buy video games was GameStop (NYSE:GME). But over the past decade, video games have shifted from being bought in store, to being downloaded through the cloud. This shift has made GameStop an increasingly irrelevant retail destination for gamers. GameStop's sales, margins and profits have consequently been hit hard, and GME stock has dropped.Can It Bounce Back: At this point in time, a bounce back rally in GME stock is unlikely. The cloud gaming shift is only accelerating and gaining momentum, as multiple next-gen cloud gaming platforms are expected to launch in late 2019 and early 2020. These new platforms will make GameStop only more irrelevant than ever before. Sales, margins and profits will continue to drop. So will GME stock. GoPro (GPRO)Source: GoPro All Time High: $100 (2014)Current Price: $5.50Why It's Dropped: Shortly after its 2014 IPO, GoPro (NYSE:GPRO) stock went hyperbolic as Wall Street fell in love with this company's potential as a next-generation media giant. The idea was that GoPro's action cameras were creating a new form of media content, from which the company could create a content-rich streaming platform, like the YouTube of action sports. That never happened. Instead, it turns out that the action sports market is pretty niche, and there really isn't much potential on the content side here. As such, over the past several years, reality has sunk in that GoPro is just a camera hardware maker for a niche action sports market. As that reality has sunk in, GPRO stock has crashed. * 7 Short Squeeze Stocks With Big Upside Potential Can It Bounce Back: GPRO stock won't bounce back from here. But it also won't fall much further. Instead, GPRO stock seems fairly valued today considering its reality as a stable but limited growth and low margin hardware maker in a niche market. Further downside seems limited by the fact that the valuation is depressed and growth trends are stabilizing. Further upside seems limited by the fact that growth rates and margins will remain relatively muted for the foreseeable future. As such, GPRO stock projects to stay stuck in the mid to high single digit range for the next few quarters. Fitbit (FIT)Source: Shutterstock All Time High: $50 (2015)Current Price: $4.40Why It's Dropped: Much like GoPro, Fitbit (NYSE:FIT) was hyped up around its IPO as a next-generation hardware company with both huge hardware and software growth potential in the long run. Also much like GoPro, though, Fitbit never lived up to that hype. Instead, Fitbit's hardware growth trajectory fell flat, as competitors innovated more quickly than Fitbit and stole market share, and the software growth narrative never really materialized. This end-to-end growth narrative erosion, coupled with continued weak margin and profit trends, has caused FIT stock to plummet over the past several years.Can It Bounce Back: A rebound in FIT stock seems unlikely at this point in time. There was hope that new smartwatch products would catalyze a rebound in declining Fitbit sales. But that tailwind has already largely come and gone and didn't leave much of a lasting positive impact. At the same time, FIT stock seems fairly valued considering its reality as a niche consumer tech hardware maker. Going forward, there is upside potential on the data side of things. But that upside potential lacks clarity. All in all, then, the growth narrative here still remains more negative than positive, and that dynamic will ultimately prohibit FIT stock from staging a big turnaround.As of this writing, Luke Lango was long AMZN, WMT, TGT, and SHOP. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 9 Retail Stocks Goldman Sachs Says Are Ready to Rip * 7 Services Stocks to Buy for the Rest of 2019 * 6 Stocks to Buy and 1 to Sell Based on Insider Trading The post 8 Penny Stocks That Have Fallen From Grace appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- MarketWatch•13 hours ago
Amazon Prime Day will showcase one-day delivery
Amazon.com Inc. Prime Day is not just a big day for retail sales at the e-commerce giant, it’s also serving as a major debut for Amazon’s one-day delivery promise for Prime members. Amazon (AMZN) announced in April that it was cutting its free two-day shipping offer in half for Prime members at a cost of $800 million in the second quarter. A quarter of the U.S. plans to purchase something during the Prime Day event, according to the latest data from YouGov, which surveyed 27,422 adults.
- Zacks•14 hours ago
The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Amazon.com, Target and Walmart
The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Amazon.com, Target and Walmart
- Benzinga•15 hours ago
Tuesday's Market Minute: Prime Day: The New Black Friday
When Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN ) launched Prime Day in 2015, the e-commerce giant changed online shopping like no company before. Four years later, other mega retailers have decided to benefit from ...
- Zacks•15 hours ago
Target Keeps Tab of Changes in Retail Landscape to Stay Afloat
Target's (TGT) strategic efforts help result in robust traffic, favorable store comps and surge in comparable digital sales.
- InvestorPlace•16 hours ago
Walmart’s Trading at an All-Time High: Time to Sell?
Walmart (NYSE:WMT) CEO Doug McMillon has been in the top job at the world's largest retailer for five-and-a-half years. Since taking the helm on February 1, 2014, Walmart stock has achieved a cumulative total return of 82%.Source: Shutterstock As the company's online business has grown, so too has the Walmart stock price. Shares are up 68% on an annualized basis over the past three years. Moreover, they're up 31% over the past 12 months, and 27% year-to-date.It's safe to say that McMillon's time as CEO has been a rewarding one for both long-time shareholders and himself: the head exec owns 1.74 million shares of WMT stock. In fiscal 2019, McMillion realized $29.5 million when 301,809 shares vested. At current prices, all of McMillon's stock is worth $200 million.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsAs the big boss, confident in his ability to keep growing Walmart, I'm sure he'll continue to hold WMT stock. I say this despite the fact it's trading at an all-time high.The question is, should you? * 7 Dependable Dividend Stocks to Buy Here are the pros and cons of staying the course with Walmart stock. The Pros for Riding WMT StockWalmart continues to take the online fight to Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN).To counter Jeff Bezos' Prime Day sale, Walmart is going all-in. The retailing giant is executing a four-day sale that began July 14 and continues through the July 17. They're also providing free two-day shipping for anyone who spends more than $35 online.Have you ever spent less than $35 in a single online order? I sure haven't. So you can bet whoever takes advantage of Walmart's sale is getting free delivery, not to mention seriously low prices.All of the company's online initiatives have led to significant growth. In fiscal 2020's first quarter, Walmart's U.S. e-commerce sales increased 37% thanks in part to strong online grocery sales. Additionally, WMT achieved solid numbers in both the home and fashion categories.For all of 2020, Walmart hopes to continue to grow its U.S. online business at a 35% clip. I don't know if it can do this. However, it's hard not to recognize that its e-commerce business is much stronger as a result of McMillon's leadership.He might not be worth $200 million, but his efforts in e-commerce are starting to bear fruit not just online, but also in the stores. Keep in mind same-store sales grew 3.4% in Q1 2020, its best quarterly growth rate in nine years.To sell Walmart stock now would be to miss out on the fruits of the company's labor. The Argument for Selling Walmart StockIt's impossible to deny that Walmart has come a long way when it comes to e-commerce. However, it's losing a whole lot of money competing against Amazon and the rest of the players in online shopping. Walmart's not used to losing money on anything. Therefore, this has got to be a gut punch to McMillon and the rest of the management team.Reports are circulating that Marc Lore, Walmart's head of e-commerce in the U.S., is feeling the heat. That's because the e-commerce unit continues to rack up big losses with little to show for all its major acquisitions, investments in infrastructure, etc.Walmart paid $3.3 billion to acquire Jet.com on September 2016, primarily to acquire Lore's e-commerce savvy. And while he's done a lot to make Walmart more competitive, it's got to start making money. Realistically, the same-store sales growth it has experienced in recent years won't continue if the country heads into a recession in the next 12 to 24 months.Since the Jet.com acquisition, Walmart stock is up 69%, 15 percentage points higher than the S&P 500. E-Commerce May Be a Drag on Walmart StockHowever, Walmart's may lose more than $1 billion in fiscal 2020 from its U.S. e-commerce on $21.5 billion in sales. Due to the negative operating margin, Walmart has put a hold on buying digitally native apparel and fashion brands. It's also selling ModCloth, which it purchased in March 2017 for between $50 million and $75 million. It might even put Bonobos up for sale although everything is merely speculation at this point.Apparently, some in the Walmart hierarchy would like to see the company double down on its grocery business -- which could overtake Amazon -- rather than focusing on apparel and fashion.The bottom line? This won't be good for overall morale if the company's best and brightest are feuding with each other.WMT stock has come a long way. Should the markets correct, which is highly likely, the Walmart stock price will take a hit at such elevated levels. Some Trimming May Be in OrderIf I had to own a discount retailer that competes with Amazon, I prefer Target (NYSE:TGT) over Walmart stock. But that's just me.I don't think WMT stock is a bad investment. That said, unless you're planning to hold for the next three to five years or longer, you might want to take some profits off the table because its e-commerce business could get a lot messier.At the time of this writing Will Ashworth did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 7 Dependable Dividend Stocks to Buy * 10 Stocks Driving the Market to All-Time Highs (And Why) * 7 Short Squeeze Stocks With Big Upside Potential The post Walmartas Trading at an All-Time High: Time to Sell? appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- TipRanks•16 hours ago
Goldman Sachs: 3 Big Box Retailers Primed for Gains
We hear so much about online retail that it’s easy to lose sight of some important facts: brick-and-mortar stores aren’t going to disappear completely. Customers still like to walk inside, pick up the floor model, or watch a real-life demonstration. While online retail offers convenience, brick-and-mortar offers experience.In 2018, physical retailers brought in $714 billion in sales, a 3.2% increase from 2017, compared to $679 billion in annual online retailer sales. Online’s faster growth rate, 9.6% from 2017, shows that it will soon take the lead, but brick-and-mortar’s sheer size makes a strong case for permanence.Three major big-box style retailers have recently gotten the thumbs-up from Goldman Sachs. Let’s unpack the TipRanks data, and find out why. Costco Corporation (COST)Costco has taken the club-model big-box warehouse store to its greatest success. The retailer has over 100 million members, with a 90% resubscription rate. While club membership is required to shop, Costco has benefits from high levels of repeat visits and bulk purchases; its membership shops frequently and buys a lot. The warehouse-floor layout of the stores helps keep down overhead and stocking costs, while offering high volume keeps prices down for customers.This successful model, in a colorful comparison by five-star financial blogger Luke Lango, has created an “offline version of Amazon (AMZN)… [The] loyal membership base will continue to power healthy results for the retailer for the foreseeable future…” Those results have pushed COST shares well above their average price target, prompting top analysts to reevaluate the stock in the past week.Goldman’s five-star analyst Kate McShane initiated her coverage on COST on July 11 with a buy rating and price target of $290, saying, “The club model continues to have some of the best attributes within retail.” Her target suggests a 3.36% upside to the stock’s current price; at the time she set it, the upside was almost 5%.COST has been on an upward surge as the analysts have been raising their price target on the stock. To give two examples, Loop Capital’s Laura Champine bumped her target to $300 “after [COST’s] June comps data and the encouraging sequential improvement in traffic growth in May…” while Baird’s Peter Benedict set a $290 target, saying, “[COST] is a growth staple as management continues to boost its competitive position.”Costco’s analyst consensus rating is a moderate buy, based on 9 buys and 5 holds assigned in the last three months. As mentioned above, the stock’s share price has powered through the average price target in recent trading sessions. Market analysts have begun setting new targets in the $290 to $300 range, but the average remains at $269. A $290 target will give the stock a 3.36% upside.>>Click Here to see the full list of Analyst Ratings Target Corporation (TGT)Goldman gives its best rating to Target, adding the stock to its Americas Conviction buy list. Target has been posting excellent comp sales growth in recent quarters, along with fast growth of the store’s online segment. Looking forward, Target’s upfront costs on store improvements and online initiatives will start to drop in the next few quarters, giving the company an additional boost to the bottom line.This is the background that sparked McShane’s interest in the stock, getting her to start coverage with a $102 price target. In her research note, she says, “Target is starting to benefit meaningfully from door closures, and an inflection in operating income growth should drive accelerating earnings growth.” Her price target suggests an upside of 17.5%.McShane is not the only analyst taking a favorable view of Target. After the Q1 earnings, JPMorgan’s Christopher Horvers set a $100 price target and buy rating on the stock, saying, “Target’s 4.8% comps is one of the best so far in large cap retail’s first-quarter.” Horver’s target implies a 15% upside potential for TGT.Target maintains a moderate buy from the analyst consensus, based on 6 buys and 7 holds. Shares are selling for $86.80, so the average price target of $89.18 indicates a modest 2.74% upside potential.>>Click Here to see the full list of Analyst Ratings Walmart, Inc. (WMT)Sam Walton’s retail giant has been having a good year. WMT stock is up 23% year-to-date, a solid performance built on a foundation similar to Target’s. Walmart has been streamlining in-store operations, improving reshelving and stocking times along with face-to-face customer service. The store improvements have gone hand-in-hand with an e-commerce initiative. In a creative twist, Walmart leveraged its existing network of stores to cut delivery costs from the online end – customers can purchase online, and pick-up at the store. It’s a viable and convenient option, given that almost everyone in America lives within 10 miles of a Walmart location.The company’s self-reinvention prompted McShane to note WMT’s improved same-store comp sales and traffic growth. As with Target, she also noted that the company faced front-loaded expenses when implementing the changes, but as those expenses moderate profits will improve. She believes WMT stock will continue its upward trend, and sets a $123 price target as she initiates coverage. Her target shows confidence in a 7% upside.Walmart has been attracting positive analyst attention for the past month and more. On June 24, KeyBanc’s Edward Yruma noted Walmart’s acquisition of the PhonePe P2P money transfer app, and specifically pointed out a potential $14 billion valuation in the medium term. He raised his price target by 4%, to $125, and reiterated his “continued confidence in WMT’s ability to innovate.” His price target indicates an upside of 8.7%.Overall, WMT gets another moderate buy from the analyst consensus, based on 9 buys, 2 holds, and 1 sell rating. The stock’s average price target of $115.33 gives a mere 0.3% upside to the current price of $114.98, but with analysts improving their ratings and raising targets, that upside may increase in coming weeks.>>Click Here to see the full list of Analyst RatingsThe retailers detailed here fall into two patterns for success: the warehouse membership model, and the traditional retail model with improvements. Both are viable paths to corporate success and returns for investors.Visit TipRanks’ Top Analysts page, to learn more about Wall Street’s best market watchers.
- InvestorPlace•16 hours ago
3 Reasons to Buy Amazon Stock Right Now
Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) is on fire right now, and the company continues to edge toward its $1 trillion market cap. Amazon stock has consistently outperformed its competitors by taking a customer-first approach and aggressively entering new markets.Source: ShutterstockAmazon doesn't succeed in all its endeavors and the company tends to focus on speed at the sacrifice of accuracy. But listed below are three things AMZN is getting right in 2019.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips Amazon Prime DaySimilar to Black Friday, Prime Day is the company's annual shopping holiday for its Prime subscribers. Typically, the holiday comes in mid-July and offers prime members big discounts on both physical and digital products. We're in the middle of it right now.Every year, the event seems to get bigger and more elaborate and it would seem that Prime Day 2019 will be the biggest event yet. The company extended the event to 48 hours and is offering it in over 18 different countries. Even non-Prime customers can sign up for a free trial and take advantage of the savings. * 9 Retail Stocks Goldman Sachs Says Are Ready to Rip Investors should care a lot about Prime Day because it's an important event for the company and will play a huge role in Amazon's third-quarter results. Last year, Prime customers worldwide purchased over 100 million products. While workers are striking during Prime Day this year, the event should still be big for Amazon stock. AMZN Stock to Offer Free One-Day ShippingWhen Amazon announced it would begin offering free one-day shipping to its Prime customers, competitors like Walmart (NYSE:WMT) and Target (NYSE:TGT) saw their stock prices plummet. The company has continually pushed the boundaries on what it offers its customers in terms of shipping.AMZN is already offering free one-day shipping on over 10 million items. And the company hasn't announced when it will be available on all items but the company will spend an additional $800 million to make it happen. It has forced Walmart, at least, to try to match the offer.This is an important move for Amazon because the company's main selling point with its customers is convenience. Unlike Target or Walmart, Amazon doesn't have a store that customers can visit if they need to pick something up. But the company does have a large fulfillment network, so faster shipping is the best way to draw in new Prime customers. Amazon Will Play a Bigger Role in the Logistics IndustryFedEx (NYSE:FDX) surprised a lot of people when it announced it wouldn't be renewing its contract with Amazon for air shipments. Other companies could follow suit though Amazon has been steadily moving away from using shipping carriers like the U.S. Postal Service and UPS (NYSE:UPS) anyway. Amazon has been preparing to enter the logistics industry for many years now. In May 2019, Amazon delivered 48% of its own shipments. By comparison, Amazon was responsible for 15% of its own shipments just a couple years ago.In 2018, the total U.S. domestic package market was $106 billion and nearly one-third of that is e-commerce shipments. This means that in the coming years, there's a ton of growth potential for Amazon's logistics business. Amazon Stock Is Still a BuyWall Street analysts expect that AMZN will report sales of $62.51 billion for its current fiscal quarter. This would be impressive enough on its own but Amazon's biggest asset is its diversity.The company is already a leader in e-commerce, digital retail and cloud computing. And Amazon never stops thinking about the future. It's always looking for the next industry to break into. This makes AMZN stock a good long-term investment and gives the company a huge competitive advantage.As of this writing, Jamie Johnson did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 9 Retail Stocks Goldman Sachs Says Are Ready to Rip * 7 Services Stocks to Buy for the Rest of 2019 * 6 Stocks to Buy and 1 to Sell Based on Insider Trading The post 3 Reasons to Buy Amazon Stock Right Now appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- Benzinga•17 hours ago
'Fast Money' Traders Talk Retail: Costco, Target And More
Guy Adami said on Monday's " Fast Money " he likes Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ: COST ) after hitting an-all time high. He also says Home Depot Inc (NYSE: HD ) is Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: ...
- Bloomberg•20 hours ago
Thieves Love Amazon Prime Day as Much as Shoppers
(Bloomberg) -- Amazon’s Prime Day gives shoppers an opportunity to flex their deal-spotting muscles ahead of Black Friday. It also gives package thieves their own chance to warm up.Although the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas see far more parcel deliveries—and therefore, more brazen from-the-stoop thefts, Prime Day’s limited 48-hour window creates a concentrated opening for “porch pirates” to make their move, said Brody Buhler, managing director of Accenture’s post and parcel industry group.It’s hard to pin down exactly how many cardboard boxes are pilfered from plain sight around the invented summer buying spree, since customers can report thefts to one of three sources—the local police department, the retailer or the mail carrier—and those reports aren’t tallied centrally. But according to research from video-doorbell company Ring, 19% of U.S. households had a package stolen at some point in 2017 with an average value of $140 per package. Nextdoor, a social-networking app for neighborhoods, says user comments about package theft spiked 85% between July 18 and 20 last year, the main delivery period for Prime Day packages.“Criminals know about Prime Day—everyone has access to the internet these days,” said James Crecco, a police captain in Jersey City, New Jersey.The police department in Jersey City partnered with Amazon in December to run a sting operation and track down package thieves after hearing from a swelling number of victims of porch piracy. Within just seven minutes of placing the first package, officers made an arrest and ultimately caught 23 robbers over an 11-day period. The department has been thinking about implementing a similar plan in the days following Prime Day, though Crecco said it was waiting to see if Amazon would partner again before renewing the program.Of course, on-the-porch delivery isn’t a new phenomenon in the U.S., with Montgomery Ward launching its dry goods mail-order business while Ulysses S. Grant was president and Sears, Roebuck and Co.’s iconic catalog serving as America’s consumer bible for a century. But the proliferation of e-commerce brought delivery of goods—and chances to pilfer them—to a whole new level. E-commerce accounted for more than 10% of all retail and food service sales in the first quarter, up from about 3% in 1999, according to the Commerce Department. Orders come in all year long, especially as grocery delivery expands, but they’re concentrated around big shopping events. During last year’s Prime Day, members bought more than 100 million products. Amazon has expanded this year’s extravaganza to 48 hours from 36 last year, with Coresight Research forecasting Amazon raking in $5.8 billion globally in sales, up from an estimated $3.9 billion in 2018.“Criminals know about Prime Day—everyone has access to the internet these days.”And that’s just the orders placed on Amazon itself. With rivals from Target Corp. to one-time mail-order king Sears itself leaning into the event, logistics providers will be extra busy in the coming days.The growth of porch piracy has led a number of states, including California, South Carolina, Michigan and New Jersey, to propose bills for stricter penalties for package thieves. In Texas, the problem became so prevalent that state representatives formed a mail theft task force in 2017 and have since passed legislation that makes certain degrees of package theft a felony. Related: Amazon Workers Plan Prime Day Strike at Minnesota WarehouseWhen packages do go missing, most major mail carriers agree to be liable for about $100, leaving the retailer to refund the remaining dollar amount or send a new item. Accenture finds that 70% of consumers won’t return to an online store after a bad delivery experience, which has retailers putting more pressure on logistics companies to give customers what they want, including tracking and delivery flexibility to ensure their wares arrive unscathed.When online shopping first became popular, the “focus was on price, then it became on free shipping, then fast shipping and now consumer-controlled shipping that can be altered until 10 minutes before the package arrives,” Accenture’s Buhler said. The demand for control over delivery comes from concerns about theft combined with increased demand for convenience, he said.Theft's a pervasive problem, and retailers have tried a variety of deterrents but are still looking for the perfect solution. For instance, to attract grocery customers, Walmart Inc. is experimenting with staffers, sporting wearable cameras, arriving in company-owned cars to unpack food in customers’ kitchens. Others are trying to leave deliveries in shoppers’ garages or the trunks of their cars. But with each new test, questions linger about privacy and efficiency, plus one-off issues like escaping pets or malfunctioning apps that deny the employee entry.Amazon itself offers Amazon Lockers, keyless entry and click-and-collect “counters” to give buyers more ways to control how they receive their orders. Amazon Logistics also gives Prime members the opportunity to track the arrival of their packages in real time and to receive a photo of where the box was dropped, the company said. A spokeswoman declined to comment further or share company data on thefts. Rising fear about package theft has helped usher in a new industry altogether: porch security. Brad Ruffkess, a former Coca-Cola Co. employee, installed security cameras at his Atlanta home and watched two boxes get stolen off of his doorstep within weeks of each other in 2017. Frustrated by the limited protection options available, Ruffkess founded BoxLock Inc., a WiFi-connected lock that lets delivery drivers place packages in secure parcel boxes outside users’ homes.BoxLock launched on Prime Day last year and sold out within hours of being posted to the Amazon website, he said. Other innovations that seek to keep porch pirates from their loot include secure parcel mailboxes, in-home package drops, Nest and Ring cameras, and alternative delivery locations through programs like UPS My Choice.“There’s still a lot more innovation to come in package security as e-commerce continues to grow,” Buhler said. “When it gets up to 20% of total shopping and there are so many more packages on people’s doorsteps, we’ll see even more innovation in protecting deliveries.”Back in Jersey City, a booming waterfront metropolis just over the Hudson River from Manhattan, package theft is evenly distributed among high and lower-income neighborhoods, Captain Crecco said, calling it one of the “rare crimes that crosses every economic demographic.” The trick to stopping it is making sure it’s not so simple to pull off for minor criminals looking for a low-effort pull. “It’s easy and criminals aren’t looking for a lot of work,” he said.To contact the author of this story: Olivia Rockeman in New York at orockeman1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Anne Riley Moffat at ariley17@bloomberg.net, Lisa WolfsonFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
- Zacks•2 days ago
Target (TGT) Stock Sinks As Market Gains: What You Should Know
In the latest trading session, Target (TGT) closed at $86.80, marking a -0.83% move from the previous day.
- Zacks•2 days ago
Kroger Gains Edge, Food 4 Less Brings Home Delivery Service
Kroger's (KR) subsidiary Food 4 Less starts a new home delivery service. Groceries will be delivered at the customers' doorstep on the same day at their preferred time.
- PR Newswire•2 days ago
Target Names Hari Govind Senior Vice President of Technology Infrastructure and Operations
MINNEAPOLIS, July 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Target Corporation (TGT) has named Hari Govind as senior vice president of infrastructure and operations for the company's technology team. In this role, Govind will oversee cloud-and-compute capabilities, network connectivity and operations for the technology that powers Target's stores, digital channels, distribution centers and office locations. Govind joins Target from Facebook, where he was the group manager on the Infrastructure team, leading strategy and execution to help scale platforms for Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp and Oculus.
- Bloomberg•2 days ago
Amazon Shoppers Snatch Up Deals on Potato Chips and Toilet Paper
(Bloomberg) -- Amazon.com Inc. shoppers are snatching up potato chips, crackers, toilet paper and other non-perishable grocery store items to take advantage of the online retailer’s Prime Day deals, which could be bad news for Costco Wholesale Corp. and Walmart Inc.Sales of consumable products on Amazon during the first nine hours of Prime Day -- a two-day sale that began Monday -- are about triple what they are on a typical sales day, according to CommerceIQ, which helps hundreds of consumer brands sell products on the e-commerce site.The results show Prime Day’s appeal stretches beyond electronics, appliances and other big-ticket purchases shoppers usually put off until there’s a big promotion. Sales of car seats, appliances and toys were up four to five times a typical day, according to CommerceIQ, which is about the usual rate for a sales event.Shoppers will spend $5.8 billion on Amazon over the two days, according to an estimate from Coresight Research. That’s an 11% increase from last year’s 36-hour sale when converted to spending per hour. Amazon launched Prime Day in 2015 as a way to lure new Prime members, who pay monthly or yearly fees in exchange for shipping discounts and other perks like video streaming.The uptick in spending shows Amazon Prime Day continues to have strong appeal to shoppers despite competing sales events offered by rivals from Walmart to Target Corp. and EBay Inc.Amazon doesn’t disclose specific sales information about Prime Day. Some companies are able to gain insights through their own sales on the site or estimations based on sales rankings and other information Amazon discloses.To contact the reporter on this story: Spencer Soper in Seattle at ssoper@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Jillian Ward at jward56@bloomberg.net, Molly Schuetz, Andrew PollackFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
- Reuters•2 days ago
UPDATE 3-Amazon rivals ride on Prime Day marketing as protests unfold
Amazon.com Inc's Prime Day is now a major marketing opportunity and shopping event in the annual calendar for other U.S. retail companies, rivaling the Thanksgiving holiday's Black Friday as a driver of sales. Walmart Inc, Target Corp and eBay Inc all run their own special promotions to coincide with the annual sale, which this year Amazon has stretched to two days. Target announced deal days which will run on the same days as Prime Day - July 15 and 16.
- InvestorPlace•2 days ago
9 Retail Stocks Goldman Sachs Says Are Ready to Rip
Retail stocks have been a tough trade in 2019. While the S&P 500 is up nearly 20% year-to-date, the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (NYSEARCA:XRT) is up just 3%, as retail stocks have been weighed by sluggish consumer spending in early 2019 and overarching trade conflicts. The sum of those headwinds has weighed on revenues and margins, and profit growth rates in the consumer discretionary sector actually dropped into negative territory in the first quarter of 2019, while S&P 500 earnings rose 4%.But, Goldman Sachs thinks things are about to get a whole lot better for a whole lot of retail stocks.The thesis?InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsGoldman Sachs believes that: 1) the macro consumer economic environment is improving, supported by low unemployment and strong wage gains, and that such improvement will re-accelerate retail revenue growth rates; 2) trade issues are being overblown in the near term and have a chance to cool off in the medium to long term; and 3) after years of investing into their e-commerce operations, big box retailers are ready to reap the operating income growth rewards of those investments. * 10 Stocks Driving the Market to All-Time Highs (And Why) Owing to these three core beliefs, Goldman Sachs has a Buy rating on several retail stocks. Which stocks made the cut? And will those stocks actually outperform from here? Let's take a closer look at nine retail stocks that Goldman thinks are ready to rally. Target (TGT)Source: Mike Mozart via Flickr (Modified)The Bull Thesis: Goldman's top pick is Target (NYSE:TGT), and the thesis here is pretty straight-forward. Target has invested big into its e-commerce and omni-channel business over the past few years. Now, the company's e-commerce business is the fastest growing online retail business among big name retailers, and Target's comparable sales growth has also been among the best in the business over the past few quarters. Thus, these investments are paying off in the form of supercharged top-line growth. Over the next few quarters, the cost base from these investments will start to moderate, too, and supercharged revenue growth will be accompanied by supercharged profit growth. That profit growth will converge on a reasonable valuation (14-times forward earnings) to spark a nice rally in TGT stock.Does It Hold Water? Yes. TGT stock is one of my favorite retail stocks for the foreseeable future, too, because this company is firing on all cylinders, continues to be relentlessly innovative, has big profit growth potential in the medium term, and continues to trade at a relatively discounted valuation. That combination ultimately implies that Target stock has runway to move higher over the next few quarters. Costco (COST)Source: Shutterstock The Bull Thesis: Another big box retailer that Goldman is bullish on is Costco (NASDAQ:COST). Much like Target, the bull thesis on COST stock is pretty straightforward, too. With Costco, you have the offline version of Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), which has leveraged low price appeal to create a huge base of loyal Costco members that shop at Costco often and in heavy volume. That loyal membership base will continue to power healthy results for the retailer for the foreseeable future, so long as consumer economic conditions remain favorable. If they do, those healthy results will in turn continue to drive COST stock higher. * 10 Best Dividend Stocks to Buy for the Rest of 2019 and Beyond Does It Hold Water? Yes. But, with one important catch: valuation. Unlike other retail stocks on this list, COST stock isn't dirt cheap. Instead, it's the opposite of dirt cheap. It's an expensive stock, at 34-times forward earnings for what projects as a 10% profit grower over the next several years. That isn't a terribly attractive combination, so in the the near term, valuation friction may limit further gains in COST stock. Walmart (WMT)Source: Shutterstock The Bull Thesis: Goldman is also bullish on the 800 pound gorilla in the retail world: Walmart (NYSE:WMT). The Walmart thesis is very similar to the Target thesis. Walmart has aggressively reinvented itself over the past several years as an omni-channel retailer with a red-hot e-commerce business, enhanced in-store presentations and multiple omni-channel capabilities like "buy online, pick up in store". This reinvention has powered decade-best comparable sales and traffic growth at Walmart over the past few quarters. But, this reinvention has also been expensive, and weighed on margins. Going forward, the cost base from these investments should moderate, and robust profit growth should come back into the picture. As it does, WMT stock should trend higher.Does It Hold Water? Yes. Much like TGT stock, WMT stock will head higher over the next few quarters as robust revenue growth and margin improvement will converge on a still reasonable valuation (23-times forward earnings) to drive share price out-performance. Home Depot (HD)Source: Shutterstock The Bull Thesis: In the home improvement space, Goldman is bullish on shares of Home Depot (NYSE:HD). Home improvement market fundamentals are favorable, driven by low rates, low unemployment, strong wage gains and good credit. Home Depot is the leader in this market, and has been for some time. As such, as home improvement spend increases over the next few quarters, Home Depot's growth rates should move higher. As those growth rates move higher, HD stock should trend higher, too. * 7 Dependable Dividend Stocks to Buy Does It Hold Water? Yes. The valuation supporting HD stock remains reasonable, as the stock trades at just 21-times forward earnings for what projects as roughly 10% profit growth over the next several years. That favorable valuation, coupled with favorable market fundamentals and continued strong numbers, will keep HD stock on a healthy uptrend for the foreseeable future. Lowe's (LOW)Source: Mike Mozart via Flickr (modified)The Bull Thesis: Goldman likes home improvement retailer Lowe's (NYSE:LOW), too, for the same reasons they like Home Depot. The home improvement market is supported by strong fundamentals at the current moment. Over the next few quarters, those strong fundamentals should drive higher home improvement spend. Some of that spend will land at Home Depot. Some of it will land at Lowe's. As such, Lowe's growth trend should improve into the back half of 2019. As it does, LOW stock should move higher.Does It Hold Water? Yes. LOW stock was unfairly beaten up in May on margin concerns in its Q1 earnings report. But, those margin headwinds are ephemeral, and should ease going forward. As they do, that easing will couple with strong top-line momentum (Lowe's also reported its best comp in recent memory last quarter) to produce robust profit growth. Simultaneously, LOW stock trades at a discount relative to HD stock (19-times forward earnings for LOW, versus 21-times for HD). This relative discount plus strong profit growth should equal big returns for LOW stock in the back half of 2019. BJ's (BJ)Source: Shutterstock The Bull Thesis: In the smaller cap retail world, Goldman is bullish on BJ's (NYSE:BJ). The bull thesis on BJ stock rests on two things. First, the macro consumer economic environment is improving, and supports strong consumer spend in the back half of 2019. Second, BJ's is a wholesale club retailer, and the club model of leveraging low price appeal to create a loyal membership base (from which you generate substantial revenue) is a winning model -- see Amazon and Costco. Thus, BJ's has a winning strategy in a market gaining momentum, and that implies healthy growth potential for BJ stock going forward. * 7 Companies Apple Should Consider Buying Does It Hold Water? Yes. BJ's is basically like a mini-Costco with an East Coast focus and very low prices, meaning that this warehouse retailer has cut out a sustainable niche for itself in the discounted retail segment. Further, BJ stock trades at just 15-times forward earnings (versus a 34-times forward multiple for COST), so there's substantial room for multiple expansion here in the event that BJ's continues to report healthy numbers (which it should). O'Reilly Automotive (ORLY)Source: JJBers via Flickr (modified)The Bull Thesis: Goldman also has a buy rating on O'Reilly Automotive (NYSE:ORLY). O'Reilly Automotive is an auto parts retailer which has grown revenues at a fairly steady mid-single-digit rate for the past several years, during which the auto parts market in the U.S. has grown at a low-single-digit rate. Because of this track record of above-market growth, Goldman likes ORLY stock in the back half of 2019, when the auto parts segment should benefit from increased demand as rates drop and the auto market rebounds.Does It Hold Water? Yes. So long as the U.S. consumer economy remains healthy and stable (as it projects to for the foreseeable future), then you can count on O'Reilly to deliver stable mid-single-digit revenue growth alongside gradual margin expansion. That combination on top of a 22-times forward multiple should produce healthy returns in ORLY stock going forward, especially with depressed interest rates broadly inflating equity valuations. Tractor Supply (TSCO)The Bull Thesis: Back to the home improvement world, Goldman also likes home improvement and agricultural goods retailer Tractor Supply (NASDAQ:TSCO). The bull thesis on TSCO is simple. Macro conditions in the home improvement and agriculture markets are favorable, and Tractor Supply's retail locations are largely rural and insulated from being disrupted by the big-box same-day-delivery push. This insulation coupled with favorable market conditions should drive sustained healthy profit growth over the next few years, and keep TSCO stock on a winning path. * 10 Stocks to Buy for Less Than Book Does It Hold Water? Yes. The valuation on TSCO stock, while not cheap, is certainly reasonable, at 23-times forward earnings for what projects as double-digit profit growth (comprised of mid-single-digit revenue growth and gradual margin expansion). So long as interest rates remain low, this combination of a ~20 forward multiple and ~10% profit growth should work for TSCO stock. Williams-Sonoma (WSM)Source: Mike Mozart via FlickrThe Bull Thesis: Tariff concerns have been a huge headache for Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM), but Goldman thinks that the kitchenware and home furnishings retailer is ready to bounce back. Trade tensions are cooling, and with a truce on new tariffs between the two countries, it seems the worst of the trade war damage has already been inflicted. Going forward, the numbers here should get better, especially as buying conditions in the U.S. improve, too. This improvement should drive a nice rebound in WSM stock.Does It Hold Water? Yes. Of all the retail stocks on this list, WSM is among one of the cheapest, at just 13-times forward earnings. To be sure, that's because revenue growth and profit growth are relatively muted here (WSM projects as a mid single-digit profit grower). But, that growth trajectory could inflect higher as trade issues become old news. In the event that happens, sentiment will improve, and WSM stock will benefit from substantial multiple expansion.As of this writing, Luke Lango was long TGT, AMZN, WMT, HD and LOW. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 7 Dependable Dividend Stocks to Buy * 10 Stocks Driving the Market to All-Time Highs (And Why) * 7 Short Squeeze Stocks With Big Upside Potential The post 9 Retail Stocks Goldman Sachs Says Are Ready to Rip appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- Zacks•2 days ago
Prime Day Sale Kicks Off: Here Are the Big Winners
Amazon might witness the highest Prime Day sales this year, topping $5 billion.
- Zacks•2 days ago
Ross Stores (ROST) Hits 52-Week High, Can the Run Continue?
Ross Stores (ROST) is at a 52-week high, but can investors hope for more gains in the future? We take a look at the company's fundamentals for clues.
- Reuters•2 days ago
Amazon rivals ride on Prime Day marketing as protests unfold
Amazon.com Inc's Prime Day is now a major marketing opportunity and shopping event in the annual calendar for other U.S. retail companies, rivaling the Thanksgiving holiday's Black Friday as a driver of sales. Walmart Inc, Target Corp and eBay Inc all run their own special promotions to coincide with the annual sale, which this year Amazon has stretched to two days. Target announced deal days which will run on the same days as Prime Day - July 15 and 16.
