Target Corp (NYSE:TGT) and TJX Companies Inc (NYSE:TJX) are telling two very different stories about the American consumer, and ETFs tied to the retail sector are increasingly reflecting that split.
Target began its latest earnings day on Wednesday with another downbeat message: profit guidance cut, shrinking discretionary sales, weaker transactions, and a cautious holiday outlook as households juggle the rising costs of food, rent, healthcare, and everyday essentials. Its shares slipped in premarket trading and remain down roughly 35% for the year, keeping analysts primarily in the Neutral-to-Sell camp.
