LOW Jan 2025 160.000 put

Home improvement retailers: Top choices for the retail sector

It has been a big week for the retail sector, with a slew of big box retailers reporting earnings, from Walmart (WMT) to Target (TGT) and Home Depot (HD). The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment reading was also released this week, its figure coming in lower than expected.  Argus Research Senior Analyst Chris Graja and Washington Crossing Advisors Senior Portfolio Manager Chad Morganlander join Market Domination to give insight into how investors should navigate the retail sector. Morganlander shares his thoughts on the current strength of the consumer, which he notes is "quite strong": "They've got a lot of tailwind regarding savings. Wage inflation has been going higher — that bodes well for consumption, as well. It's a full employment picture here in the United States, so for us, we think that bodes well overall in aggregate for big box retailers." Graja who has a Buy rating on both Home Depot and Lowe's (LOW) explains that home improvement retailers are currently well position: "They're good quality businesses. They pay dividends, and the thing is, I don't think we know exactly when the turn is going to be. And the other thing is, like all we need to see is a little bit of sign of an inflection. So I think the long-term thesis makes a lot of sense looking at Harvard's leading indicator of remodeling activity." For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Market Domination. This post was written by Nicholas Jacobino