Retail Sales Update

The retail index is really down in the dumps lately. On balance, the sales reports this morning were not bad. But a few misses from companies like CHS and CTRN hit those stocks hard.

Here is a sample of some of the retail sales reports this morning:

• GYMB: +15.0% (vs. +7.0% estimates)
• AEOS: +11.0% (vs. +7.0%)
• KSS: +7.1% (vs. +4.3%)
• ZUMZ: +12.4% (vs. +9.3%)
• WAG: +9.0% (vs. +8.0%)
• TGT: +4.8% (vs. +4.6%)
• ANF: -4.0% (vs. +0.3%)
• CTRN: +4.3% (vs. +8.0%)
• CHS: +5.1% (vs. +5.8%)
• WMT: +1.2% (vs. +2.3%)
• JWN: +4.7% (vs. +5.1%)

The market is struggling to stay in positive territory during the last hour. Bond yields have drifted lower (5.18%), but gold and oil are higher. The dollar is also lower, which is helping commodities.

long KSS, WAG