Walmart and Target will report earnings this week, providing fresh insight into how consumers are faring shortly after retail data indicated that Americans have been spending more on "fun" categories.

The chains are just two of the retailers set to deliver their latest quarterly results and, potentially, update their outlooks ahead of the holiday period. Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) together accounted for some $140 billion in U.S. sales in their latest quarters, and Wall Street expects them to collectively turn in more than $470 billion in holiday-quarter revenue, according to Visible Alpha estimates.

The updates, part of 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:a busy wind-down to earnings season, are due as analysts say fewer consumers have been holding back. 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:October retail sales were up 0.4% from September, when core spending shot up at the fastest monthly rate since January 2023, Wells Fargo economists wrote Friday after the Commerce Department reported the latest data.

"Giddy up Jingle-horse," they wrote. "An otherwise lackluster year for retailers is gaining some last-minute momentum just as holiday sales get underway."

Walmart is scheduled to 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:turn in its numbers before the market opens Tuesday. The retailer 255 million customers a week, and its leaders detailed their shifting shopping habits on last quarter's call: 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:CFO John David Rainey said then that high-income consumers were flocking to the company for its Walmart+ membership program and delivery service, while executives also noted a growing appetite for private labels, particularly for food.

Target's third-quarter report is scheduled for Wednesday morning. The Minneapolis-based brand 30 million people a week. During its last earnings call, 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:CEO Brian Cornell told investors shoppers were more comfortable spending on✱ discretionary items again♕ and noted that apparel sales grew for the first time in more than a year.

Other reports due this week may offer additional context. Lowe's Cos. (LOW) report is 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:expected tomorrow. TJX Cos. (TJX), which owns TJ Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods, is slated to release its results Wednesday morning. Ross Stores (ROST) its report Thursday afternoon.

Consumers in 'Average' Shape as Holidays Approach

Americans spent more l🦩ast month, with eight of 13 retail categories posting gains in the With price increases slowing, people are able to direct more dollars toward electronics, restaurants and other "fun" categories, Wells Fargo noted: Grocery bills, for example, grew 0.1% from September to October.

Lower energy prices have freed up some of Americans' dollars, paving the way for "healthy" retail sales throughout the holidays, the National Retail Federation said.

Shoppers are still contending with inflation, though. The consumer price index was up 2.6% for the year ended in October, and rose 0.2% from September to October, 澳洲幸运5꧙官方开奖结果体彩网:matching the monthly pace o🤡f inflation since July,𓄧 the Bureau of Labor Statistics said.

This leaves consumers in "pretty average shape" for the gift-giving season, according to the Wells Fargo economists. They expect holiday sales — retail spending that excludes cars, gas and restaurant bills — to grow 3.3% through the end of the year. Quincy Krosby, chief global strategist for LPL Financial, on Friday characterized the consumer as "resilient" in emailed comments.

"Despite broader spending continuing at a robust clip, the retailers we include in our holiday sales measure have seen sales rise at a very slow pace," Wells Fargo wrote. "We are still likely to see the slowest pace of annual sales growth since ahead of the pandemic."