TGT | Target Corporation Consumer Defensive | Discount Stores | USA | NYSE Target Corporation operates as a general merchandise retailer in the United States. The company offers apparel for women, men, boys, girls, toddlers, and infants and newborns, as well as jewelry, accessories, and shoes; and beauty and personal care, baby gear, cleaning, paper products, and pet supplies. It also provides dry grocery, dairy, frozen food, beverages, candy, snacks, deli, bakery, meat, and food service; electronics, which includes video game hardware and software, toys, entertainment, sporting goods, and luggage; and furniture, lighting, storage, kitchenware, small appliances, home decor, bed and bath, home improvement, school/office supplies, greeting cards and party supplies, and other seasonal merchandise. In addition, the company sells merchandise through periodic design and creative partnerships, and shop-in-shop experience; and in-store amenities. Further, it sells its products through its stores; and digital channels, including Target.com. Target Corporation was incorporated in 1902 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Target's (TGT) Troubles Thu, Jun 1, 2023 It's been a miserable couple of weeks for shares of Target (TGT) as the stock is on pace for its tenth straight day of losses today. Whether or not the stock closes up or down today, the nine-day losing streak heading into Thursday was the longest in more than 23 years, and there have only been three other streaks that were as long or longer than the current one. While shares of Target (TGT) have been down sharply over the last two weeks (-20.2%), its main competitor Walmart (WMT) hasn't had nearly as rough of a time as its shares are down just 1.5%. At the current level of -18.7 percentage points, the two-week performance spread between TGT and WMT is at an extreme, and there are only a handful of other periods since 1980 where the spread was wider in WMT's favor. What's ironic, however, is that exactly a year ago today, TGT's two-week underperformance versus WMT was even wider at -22.8 percentage points. Back then it was a disastrous earnings report that caused the stock to crater. The recent weakness in TGT has been mostly attributed to a negative backlash from the merchandise associated with the company's Pride campaign, and while that may have accelerated the decline, it's important to note that the stock has been steadily underperforming WMT for well over a year now. The chart below shows the relative strength of TGT versus WMT over the last five years. While TGT was a big beneficiary relative to WMT during the year after COVID when consumers were flush with cash, once the checks stopped, so too did the outperformance. As of today, the stock's relative strength versus WMT is at the lowest level since the first half of 2020.
I won't touch this one when the market is white hot like it is now, too much easy money to pick up off the floor to bother with a complex sociopolitical gambit like Cancel Culture attacking Target. Who TF knows how that plays out? I doubt you or I do. BUT... if you have to play this, play it long when it feels right. Why? Look at the Fortune 10 companies almost all support LGBT and promote tolerance and inclusion. They know the American people are on the side of tolerance and inclusion, not on the side of hating on gay people and not doing business with companies promoting tolerance. The CEOs are leaning into it, they know it's a long game and emotions only win out in the short game. My two cents. Not touching with a mile-long pole.
