Index Performers
All three major indexes climbed higher during Wednesday’s session thanks to a slew of strong earnings from major retailers and the continuing easing of fears surrounding a global economic slowdown. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.9% from 25,962.44 to 26,202.73 — the best close in over a week — while the S&P 500 gained 0.8% on the day from 2,900.51. The tech-centric Nasdaq rounded out the three with a strong 0.9% rise, going from 7,948.56 at Tuesday’s close to 8,020.21.
Stocks also surged in Europe despite political upheaval out of Italy, where Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte resigned amid internal struggles with his own government. The Stoxx Europe 600 increased by 1.2%, while the yield on Italian government debt tumbled to its lowest level since 2016.
Biggest Retail Movers
Shares of retail giant Target Corp. (TGT) rocketed 20.4% on the day from $85.53 to $103 after releasing second-quarter earnings and revenue, both of which surpassed analyst expectations. The company earned $1.82 per share, crushing Wall Street’s expected $1.62 per share by more than 12%, while the $18.42 billion in revenue during the quarter beat the expected $18.34 billion by 0.4%. Executives cited investment into websites and quicker shipping times as primary help in the firm’s continued fight against Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN).
Lowe’s Companies Inc. (LOW) saw its stock soar 10.35% during Wednesday’s session after the home-improvement retailer also announced exceptional Q2 financials. It reported earnings per share (EPS) of $2.15 per share on revenue of $20.99 billion. This blindsided analysts who were calling for an EPS of $2.01 on revenue of $20.94 billion. CEO Marvin Ellison lauded the quarter by noting how his firm “capitalized on spring demand, strong holiday event execution and growth in paint and our pro business to deliver strong second quarter results.”
Finally, shares of Nordstrom Inc. (JWN) logged a 5.5% gain during the session but exploded as much as 12.2% after the closing bell once the firm released earnings. The stock flirted with the $30 level thanks to mixed financials marked by strong profit yet weak revenue. The company’s EPS of $0.90 for the April-June period surpassed Wall Street’s estimate of $0.75 by 20%. Revenue was slightly weaker, as the $3.87 billion during the period fell just 1.5% short of the expected $3.93 billion.
Other Movers
Yields on short-term Treasury bonds rose after the Federal Reserve released the minutes from its most recent Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting that saw the first rate cut in years. The yield on the two-year Treasury note climbed from 1.515% on Tuesday to 1.569% by Wednesday’s close. Meanwhile, the 10-year Treasury’s yield edged higher from 1.557% to 1.577%.