Luxury Retail Trends, TGT Earnings, & U.S.-China Trade Talks

• (0:30) - Trump Cancels North Korea Meeting
• (3:00) - Tiffany & Co. Earnings Report
• (5:35) - Ralph Lauren Earnings Report
• (8:15) - Target Earnings Report
• (16:00) - Trade Agreement Update

On today’s episode of the Zacks Friday Finish Line, Associate Stock Strategist Ryan McQueeney and Editor Maddy Johnson take on this week’s biggest stories, including the latest trends in luxury apparel and retail, Target’s mixed earnings report, and recent trade concessions made by the U.S. and China.

Make sure to subscribe and leave the show a rating on Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) Podcasts!

First up, Maddy and Ryan discussed earnings results from Tiffany & Co (NYSE:TIF) and Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL) —both of which surprised investors this week. Tiffany crushed earnings estimates and lifted guidance, while Ralph Lauren made needed progress with comps and margins.

The success of both companies also points to a larger trend toward high-end and luxury brands, which serves as yet another reminder that the global economy is doing well right now.

Next, the hosts recapped Target’s (NYSE:TGT) new earnings report, which saw the big-box retailer miss on the bottom line. Target made solid progress on updating its stores and expanding new digital channels, but those investments proved to be costly, and the company saw its margins shrink. This put a dent on EPS figures this quarter, but as Maddy and Ryan discuss, the updates should be a positive in the future.

Finally, the Finish Line team filled listeners in on what they need to know about the progress made in trade negotiations between the U.S. and China. This week, we learned both nations had put trade tensions aside in hopes of reaching a stable agreement, with China reducing tariffs on foreign automobiles and President Trump lifting a trade ban on Chinese telecom giant ZTE (HK:0763).

As a reminder, if you feel that we missed something, or if you want us to cover a different story, shoot us an email at podcast@zacks.com. Make sure to check out all of our other audio content at zacks.com/podcasts, and remember to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcasts.

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