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Walmart - the biggest US importer - is at risk of taking a hit from Trump's slew of tariffs

Walmart leaves annual forecasts unchanged amid tariff woe

Walmart is sticking to its full-year growth forecasts for sales and operating income, the retailer said today, even as US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs fuel economic uncertainty and dent consumer confidence.

Business • 09 Apr

Dollar Tree offloads Family Dollar chain for $ 1 billion

Dollar Tree said today that a consortium of private-equity investors will buy its Family Dollar business for about $1 billion, bringing an end to its nearly year-long search for potential buyers for the troubled discount-store chain.

Business • 26 Mar

Macy's has joined several US retailers in signaling that shoppers were holding off buying clothing and accessories in the face of economic uncertainty

Macy's forecasts 2025 sales, profit below expectations

Macy's has today forecast annual sales and profit below Wall Street's expectations, joining several US retailers in signaling that shoppers were holding off buying apparel and accessories in the face of economic uncertainty.

Business • 06 Mar

Walmart shares had risen about 72% in 2024

Walmart profit forecast disappoints Wall Street

Walmart has today forecast sales and profit for the fiscal year ending January 2026 below Wall Street estimates, suggesting the world's largest retailer expects inflation-weary consumers to pull back after several quarters of solid growth.

Business • 20 Feb

US spending online on Black Friday rose 10.2%, new figures show today

Black Friday data shows US shoppers spent $10.8bn online

US shoppers used their mobile phones, laptops, desktops and other devices to make roughly $10.8 billion in purchases online on Black Friday, an updated tally from Adobe Analytics showed.

Business • 30 Nov 24

Macy's surprise announcement today has amplified concerns of an uncertain holiday season

Macy's delays third quarter report on accounting issue

Macy's has delayed the publication of its third-quarter results due to an accounting issue tied to delivery expenses and instead posted preliminary results in which its sales missed Wall Street expectations.

Business • 25 Nov 24

Gap said its third-quarter net sales rose 2% to $3.8 billion, while its profit per share of 72 cents handily beat expectations of 58 cents

Gap raises annual sales target on steady Christmas demand

Gap has raised its annual sales forecast and said the Christmas season was off to a "strong start", sending the Old Navy parent's shares up 15% in extended trade on Wall Street last night.

Business • 22 Nov 24

US retailer Target said it is now expecting flat comparable sales in the fourth quarter and a profit of $1.85 to $2.45 per share

Target shares fall as retailer expects stagnant Q4 sales

Target has forecast final-quarter comparable sales and profit below estimates as value-conscious consumers shopped for low-priced essentials at rival retailers including Walmart, sending its shares tumbling 18% in early trading.

Business • 20 Nov 24

Walmart is among the first major US chains to provide insight into the all-important festive quarter and how consumers are planning spend as inflation ebbs

Walmart raises annual forecasts for the third time

Walmart has raised its annual sales and profit forecast for the third consecutive time, with people buying more groceries and merchandise online and at its stores, a sign that it may be gaining market share ahead of the Christmas season.

Business • 19 Nov 24

Levi Strauss shares fall on sluggish quarterly forecast

Shares in Levi Strauss slumped about 11% in premarket trading today after it forecast tepid holiday quarter revenue as the denim maker grapples with weak demand from retailers with consumers paring back spending.

Business • 03 Oct 24

Lululemon Athletica has seen a slow start to 2024 after years of strong growth as persistent inflation led to selective spending by shoppers

Lululemon cuts annual forecasts on tepid US demand

Lululemon Athletica has cut its annual sales and profit forecasts, as demand for its pricey leggings and tank tops slowed in North America amid selective consumer spending.

Business • 30 Aug 24

US department store chain Macy's has ended talks with an investor group which sought to buy the company for roughly $6.9 billion

Macy's ends buyout talks on valuation worries

Macy's has ended its buyout talks with Arkhouse Management and Brigade Capital due to uncertainty over financing and valuation and said it would now concentrate on its turnaround efforts, sending its shares down 15% today.

Business • 15 Jul 24

Target shares have lost more than 40% of its value since touching an all-time high in November 2021

Target issues weak forecast as shoppers pull back

Target has today said it expects consumer caution to persist after it reported quarterly earnings that missed Wall Street estimates and issued a forecast for the current quarter that was also largely below expectations.

Business • 22 May 24

US giant Home Depot will buy building materials supplier SRS Distribution in an $18.25 billion deal including debt

Home Depot's $18.25 billion deal for SRS Distribution

Home Depot will buy building materials supplier SRS Distribution in an $18.25 billion deal including debt, the top US home improvement chain said, beefing up its business to professional customers as the industry tackles tepid demand.

Business • 28 Mar 24

Macy's said today it would close 150 stores up to 2026 in a new turnaround plan

Macy's forecasts annual sales below estimates

Macy's forecast annual sales below market expectation on weak demand for its apparel and shoes and said it would close 150 stores up to 2026 in a new turnaround plan.

Business • 27 Feb 24

Walmart today reported a 3.9% rise in comparable sales, excluding fuel, for the fourth quarter ended January 31

Walmart buys Vizio for $2.3 billion, outlook lifts shares

Walmart today kicked off US retailers' reporting season with robust fourth quarter results after inflation-squeezed shoppers flocked to its stores, and said it would buy smart-TV maker Vizio for $2.3 billion.

Business • 20 Feb 24

Like other legacy department store operators, Macy's has struggled to compete against younger, online competitors or peers with smaller brick-and-mortar footprints

Macy's rejects Arkhouse's $5.8 billion bid

Macy's said it has rejected Arkhouse Management and partner Brigade Capital Management's $5.8 billion proposal to take the department store operator private, citing concerns over deal financing and valuation.

Business • 22 Jan 24

Abercrombie & Fitch said its net sales for the third-quarter jumped 20% to $1.01 billion

Abercrombie & Fitch lifts annual sales forecast

Abercrombie & Fitch has today raised its annual net sales growth forecast, signaling strong demand for its lifestyle brands heading into the crucial Christmas shopping season.

Business • 21 Nov 23

Gap said that comparable sales at Old Navy rose 1% in the third quarter - the first increase in 10 quarters

Gap shares soar on Old Navy brand renewal

Shares of Gap surged 20% in premarket trading today as investors cheered signs that the apparel maker's efforts to bring in trendier and in-demand clothing at its Old Navy brand and keep inventory under control were paying off.

Business • 17 Nov 23

Merchandise inventories at the Bloomingdale parent were down 6% year-over-year and down 17% compared to 2019

Macy's smashes profit estimates as margins improve

Macy's has today crushed analysts' estimates for quarterly profit as the department store operator's margins benefited from better inventory management and lower freight costs, sending its shares up about 8% premarket.

Business • 16 Nov 23

Walmart's bigger focus on groceries has provided a bulwark against the broad slowdown in discretionary spending.

Walmart caution on consumer spending sends shares lower

Walmart has today raised its annual sales and profit forecast for the second quarter in a row, but cautious comments from executives for the holiday season sent its shares down 7% in premarket trading.

Business • 16 Nov 23

arget's stock has lost a quarter of its value in a turbulent year marked by elevated inflation

Target beats profit forecasts on inventory drawdown

Target has today forecast holiday-quarter profit largely above Wall Street expectations as the big-box retailer benefits from easing supply-chain costs and its efforts to control inventory start to pay off.

Business • 15 Nov 23

Levi Strauss & Co has missed its third-quarter sales estimates

Levi Strauss cuts its annual forecasts

Levi Strauss & Co has cut its annual forecasts for the second time after missing third-quarter sales estimates, reeling from hefty promotions and falling demand at wholesale channels in North America.

Business • 06 Oct 23

Sales at Walmart's US stores open at least a year rose 6.4%, excluding fuel, in the three months ended July 31, beating estimates of a 4.44% increase

Walmart raises forecasts and tops sales estimates

Walmart has today raised its full-year forecasts and beat estimates for second-quarter sales, underscoring its strength in offering lower prices on everything from daily perishables and clothes to inflation-squeezed Americans.

Business • 17 Aug 23

Macy's said it would need to discount further in the second quarter to clear out spring and early summer stocks as consumer spending weakens

Macy's cuts annual forecasts as customers curb spending

Macy's has today cut its full-year sales and profit forecasts, hurt by a slowdown in demand for high-end products and increased discounts due to persistently high inflation.

Business • 01 Jun 23