Did Target & Walmart Prove Retail Is Back?

On today’s episode of the Zacks Friday Finish Line podcast, Content Writer Ryan McQueeney and Editor Maddy Johnson take on this week’s biggest news from the investment and financial world.

The hosts started this week’s episode by taking a look at a major shakeup in the private prison industry. The U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday that it would be phasing out the use of private prisons in the federal Bureau of Prisons system. Two publicly-traded companies, the Corrections Corporation of America (NYSE:CXW) and the GEO Group (NYSE:GEO) , operate in this area, and both stocks took heavy losses Thursday.

You can find our full coverage on the story here: Is This the End of the Private Prison Industry?

Maddy and Ryan also took a look at the healthcare industry, another sector in the midst of a major shakeup. Health insurers are finding it difficult to turn profits on the Obamacare exchanges, and some companies are just ditching the idea completely. Aetna (NYSE:AET) was the latest to reduce its offerings this week, as the company said it will scale down its Obamacare coverage to just four states in 2017.

Check out the full story here: Aetna is Reducing its Participation in Obamacare Significantly

Before jumping into some major earnings reports, Maddy and Ryan checked in with Uber, which had a pair of headlines this week. Uber made a significant move to battle regulatory changes in London; the company took legal action against the city’s transport regulators and a handful of new rules implemented to restrict drivers. Uber also took another step in the self-driving car world with its purchase of Otto, a small startup focused on that technology.

Catch up with Uber’s latest news here: Uber News: Acquires Otto, Takes Legal Action in London

Finally, the hosts took a look at earnings reports from Target (NYSE:TGT) and Walmart (NYSE:WMT) . Both reports packed a mixed bag of results, and Maddy and Ryan used both companies’ latest data to discuss the current state of the retail shopping landscape.

You can find our full earnings coverage here: Three Reasons For Target's Weak Q2 Sales & After Walmart Earnings, Which Retail Stocks Are Best Right Now?

As always, thanks for checking out this week’s episode of the Zacks Friday Finish Line, and make sure to check back next week for even more news from the investment and financial world!