A Direct Link Between the Returns of Retailers and the Type of Stores They Operate
So far the year 2020 has been one of extremes for retailers. Some companies are doing great and we have seen a great number of bankruptcies as well. Since the COVID-19 pandemic started we have seen some stores do well and others have floundered.
One item that has been a major factor seems to be whether the company has a strong online presence or not. But I found a direct link between the gains in the stocks and what type of stores the company operates.
Looking at the Tickeron Screener and the scorecard for nine different retailers, we see the one-year returns for the stocks have varied greatly. All nine of these companies will report earnings during the week of August 17 through 21 and that’s the reason I have grouped them together. We see home improvement retailers Lowes (LOW) and Home Depot (HD) are in the top spot and the third place spot with gains of 69.7% and 43.3%, respectively. Target (TGT) is in the number two spot with a gain of 68.8%.
At the bottom of the list we see Kohl’s (KSS) with a decline of 47.1%. The second worst performance has been from Nordstrom (JWN) with a drop of 33.7% and Foot Locker (FL) is down 19.3%.
If we look at the stores at the top of the list, sure two of them are home improvement retailers, but the top four all operate as stand-alone stores. They aren’t in strip malls or traditional malls—they have standalone buildings. Now look at the bottom five. Foot Locker and Nordstrom stores are typically found in traditional malls. Kohl’s, Ross Stores (ROST), and TJX Companies (TJX) all typically have their stores in strip malls or in smaller shopping centers where they are considered an anchor store.
I thought this was a fascinating development and I think it is more than just a coincidence. Yes, the stocks at the top of the list also seem to have pretty strong online operations, but so does Kohl’s. What I really think is going on with the stocks is that they reflect the trend that has been going on for a number of years where the big, enclosed, traditional shopping malls are struggling. We have seen Neiman Marcus, Lord & Taylor, JC Penney, and Brooks Brothers declare bankruptcy. Just this week Stein Mart became the latest retailer to file for bankruptcy.
Many of the companies that have declared bankruptcy in the retail space serve as anchor stores for traditional malls or for strip malls. Many of these stores were struggling before the pandemic. The economic shutdowns that have taken place didn’t cause their troubles, but the shutdowns did accelerate their demise.
Unfortunately there is likely to be a snowball effect as the anchor stores leave, the smaller retailers will struggle as well and it will likely lead to more bankruptcies.
Getting back to the upcoming earnings reports and the image from the Tickeron Screener, the group as a whole has a short-term positive outlook. There are three “strong buy” ratings, five “buy” ratings, and only one “sell” rating (Foot Locker). The overall fundamental ratings aren’t nearly as bad as I would have expected. All nine stocks have more bullish indicators than bearish indicators and that was shocking to me.
The two biggest areas of concern are in the Valuation Rating and the Profit vs. Risk Ratings. Each of those categories shows three stocks with bearish signals in that column.
The technical picture is even stronger than the fundamental picture. There are only six bearish signals across the whole board and three of those are for Foot Locker—thus the “sell” rating on the scorecard.
The AROON Indicators and the MACD Indicators are both showing a number of bullish signals for the group.
Continuing with the standalone concept versus the mall and shopping center stores, the EPS estimates for the coming reports seem to follow my line of thinking. We see Lowes and Home Depot are expected to see earnings growth while Target and Wal Mart are expected to see small declines in earnings, but remain profitable.
Four of the five mall and shopping center oriented companies are expected to lose money in the quarter and all five reported profits in the same period last year. Foot Locker is the exception again as it is expected to earn $0.25, but that is considerably lower than the $0.66 the company earned last year.
LOW's RSI Indicator climbs out of oversold territory
The RSI Oscillator for LOW moved out of oversold territory on June 20, 2025. This could be a sign that the stock is shifting from a downward trend to an upward trend. Traders may want to buy the stock or call options. The A.I.dvisor looked at 22 similar instances when the indicator left oversold territory. In of the 22 cases the stock moved higher. This puts the odds of a move higher at .
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
The Momentum Indicator moved above the 0 level on June 27, 2025. You may want to consider a long position or call options on LOW as a result. In of 85 past instances where the momentum indicator moved above 0, the stock continued to climb. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for LOW just turned positive on June 26, 2025. Looking at past instances where LOW's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in of 49 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
LOW moved above its 50-day moving average on July 09, 2025 date and that indicates a change from a downward trend to an upward trend.
The 10-day moving average for LOW crossed bullishly above the 50-day moving average on July 09, 2025. This indicates that the trend has shifted higher and could be considered a buy signal. In of 15 past instances when the 10-day crossed above the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
Following a 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where LOW advanced for three days, in of 354 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
LOW may jump back above the lower band and head toward the middle band. Traders may consider buying the stock or exploring call options.
Bearish Trend Analysis
The Stochastic Oscillator may be shifting from an upward trend to a downward trend. In of 62 cases where LOW's Stochastic Oscillator exited the overbought zone, the price fell further within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where LOW declined for three days, the price rose further in of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
The Aroon Indicator for LOW entered a downward trend on June 30, 2025. This could indicate a strong downward move is ahead for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is seriously undervalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (0.000) is normal, around the industry mean (10.933). P/E Ratio (18.885) is within average values for comparable stocks, (34.982). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (3.244) is also within normal values, averaging (2.738). Dividend Yield (0.018) settles around the average of (0.034) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (1.685) is also within normal values, averaging (20.235).
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating very strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating low risk on high returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 74, placing this stock better than average.
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to consistent earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating fairly steady price growth. LOW’s price grows at a lower rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
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a company, which engages in the retail sale of home improvement products
Industry SpecialtyStores
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