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Target To Report Earnings On Wednesday
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Target tumbles after warning of terrible, tariff-ridden first quarter

Target shares slide after the popular retailer gave a chilly sales forecast.

Nia Warfield

Target shares fell after the retailer topped Q4 expectations but gave a shaky outlook for the first quarter. The retailer posted earnings of $2.41 per share, topping Wall Street’s expected $2.26, with revenue reaching $30.92 billion, also slightly above estimates. But sales still dropped 3% from the same quarter last year as the retailer grappled with softer consumer spending and heavy discounting over the holidays, pressuring profits.

The stock was down nearly 4% in premarket trading.

Looking ahead, Target said it’s bracing for a “meaningful” drop in first-quarter profit, citing weak February sales and declining consumer confidence. Finance Chief Jim Lee pointed to “uncharacteristically cold weather” hurting apparel sales, while CEO Brian Cornell warned that new 25% tariffs on Mexican imports could soon push up prices on produce like bananas and avocados.

Target expects full-year earnings per share between $8.80 and $9.80 — largely in line with forecasts — but projected just 1% sales growth, well below analysts’ 2.6% estimate. To drive momentum, Target is leaning on exclusive partnerships with Champion and Warby Parker as well as trend-driven merchandise. Target shares are down nearly 20% over the past year.

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SpaceX gets a wave of bullish ratings from Wall Street analysts

SpaceX received more than a dozen positive analyst calls on Tuesday — including from major Wall Street banks — as they initiate coverage on Elon Musk’s space and AI company.

SpaceX went public on June 12 at a $2.2 trillion valuation, the largest debut in history. While the company hasn’t yet posted a profit, it seems to have convinced Wall Street that it will get there and grow its valuation on the way.

Of the at least 17 analysts that gave a rating on Tuesday, all but one gave it a “buy” or “outperform” rating. MoffettNathanson was "neutral."

The ratings come as SpaceX joined the Nasdaq 100 index, a benchmark tech-heavy basket of companies that underpins millions of portfolios. The inclusion adds built-in demand for the stock from index funds and ETFs.

Still, SpaceX fell more than 5% on Tuesday amid a broader sell-off, and is currently effectively flat from its opening price of $150 a share.

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Nike sinks to lowest level since 2014 after warning of “challenged” sales environment in Q4 report

Did Nike do it?

Investors had a mixed reaction after the global sports apparel company reported its fourth quarter earnings on Tuesday after the bell. Shares initially rose 5% as Nike beat out Wall Street expectations amid a hefty tariff refund bonus. However, the stock then sank to its lowest level since August 2014 in postmarket trading.

Here are the Q4 numbers:

  • Revenue of $11.0 billion (estimate: $10.8 billion).

  • Adjusted earnings per share of $0.20 (estimate: $0.12).

Ahead of this report, Nike warned that results would be flattered by a one-time tariff refund (now estimated at roughly $0.52 per share for the bottom line). That gave the company an extra cushion in snapping its streak of seven quarters of year-over-year profit declines.

Over the past year, the company had been punished by tariffs on imported goods, stagnant consumer spending, and increasing competition from other footwear brands like New Balance, Adidas, and Hoka.

Outgoing CFO Matthew Friend deemed it an “increasingly challenging operating environment, where sell-through remains challenged.”

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