markets

Nia Warfield8/20/25

Target nabs Q2 beat, but stock sinks as management continues to warn of slumping sales

Target shares sank 10% in premarket trading after the retailer posted a Q2 earnings beat but reiterated expectations for a sales drop this year.

The company also announced that longtime CEO Brian Cornell would step down.

Adjusted earnings per share came in at $2.05, versus Wall Street’s estimate of $2.04. Revenue landed at $25.2 billion, compared with forecasts of $24.9 billion. Meanwhile, same-store sales fell 1.9%, better than the projected 2.9% decline, per FactSet.

Looking ahead, Target affirmed its full-year guidance. For fiscal 2025, it expects a low single-digit sales decline and adjusted EPS ranging between $7.00 and $9.00, the midpoint of which is well above the $7.30 from analysts polled by Bloomberg.

Target has been fighting through a sales slump and lowering prices to win shoppers back. But it hasn’t been enough to stop the bleed: last week, Bank of America analysts downgraded their rating for the stock to “underperform,” warning that the retailer was already lagging peers and would need to raise prices by roughly 8% on average to fully offset tariffs expected in fiscal 2027.

And now, the retailer’s leadership is set to change. Longtime CEO Brian Cornell will step down in February after more than a decade at the helm. He’ll be succeeded by current Chief Operating Officer Michael Fiddelke, who has been with the company for nearly 20 years.

Target shares were down 23% year to date prior to earnings.

More Markets

See all Markets

markets

GameStop rallies after CEO Ryan Cohen purchases $10.6 million in company stock

Ryan Cohen isn’t waiting for any market cap and EBITDA performance milestones to get his hands on more shares of GameStop.

The CEO boosted his stake in the video game and collectibles retailer by roughly $10.6 million on Tuesday, purchasing 500,000 shares across a series of transactions at an average weighted price close to $21.12.

Shares are up nearly 2% in premarket trading on Wednesday.

Cohen owns approximately 8.45% of shares outstanding, making him the largest individual holder of the stock and the second-largest owner, trailing only index fund provider Vanguard. His last open market purchase of GameStop was on April 3, 2025 — also for 500,000 shares at a weighted price slightly higher than Tuesday’s buys.

GameStop recently announced a long-term pay package for Cohen that would tie his remuneration completely to the company and stock’s performance. If approved, it would see the CEO receive options that allow him to buy company stock at a discount if he’s able to concurrently achieve escalating levels of cumulative EBITDA and market cap milestones.

To receive the first tranche, Cohen would need GameStop to have the bottom-line results roughly on par with any three-year stretch of the 2010s, while attaining a market cap that the company only received on a closing basis during the 2021 meme stock episode.

During his tenure atop the company, Cohen has proven adept at controlling expenses and overseeing the rapid growth of GameStop’s collectibles business, resulting in the retailer generating positive cash flow from operations for a record six consecutive quarters.

Separately, board member Alain Attal also purchased about $251,000 in company stock on Tuesday.

Netflix's Upfront 2025

Netflix sinks on lower-than-expected earnings forecast

Netflix’s report dropped on the same day it officially went all-cash in its bid for Warner Bros. Discovery.

Max Knoblauch15h

markets

Max Knoblauch15h

United Airlines rallies after Q4 earnings and Q1 profit guidance top estimates

Shares of United Airlines are rising after the bell on Tuesday, following the release of the carrier’s fourth-quarter and full-year earnings report.

United posted adjusted earnings per share of $3.10 in Q4, above the $2.92 per share expected by Wall Street analysts polled by Bloomberg. Sales of $15.4 billion were roughly in line with the consensus estimate.

The airline also:

Forecast full-year earnings per share between $12 and $14, bracketing Wall Street’s call for $13.04. For Q1, management sees EPS between $1.00 and $1.50, the midpoint of which is above the $1.16 expected by Wall Street.
Booked $13.93 billion in passenger revenue on the quarter, up nearly 5% year over year.

“Strong revenue momentum has continued into 2026,” according the company’s press release. “The week ending January 4th was the highest flown revenue week in United history, and the week ending January 11th was the highest ticketing week and the highest week for business sales in United history.”

UAL’s premium ticket revenue climbed 9% compared to a 7% increase in basic economy revenue. The “K-shaped economy” has become increasingly visible in travel trends at major US airlines. Last week, Delta’s revenue from first-class and business passengers eclipsed its main cabin revenue for the first time.

Traders will soon have 3x as many opportunities to punt short-term options on the biggest US stocks

And that means 3x the opportunities for gamma/pin risk in the largest US stocks (and the biggest bitcoin ETF).

Craps, Roulette and Sports Betting Debuts at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood

President Trump Delivers An Announcement From The Oval Office

Pharma largely unfazed as Greenland tariffs roil markets

Drugmakers, which have spent the past six months reaching tariff deals with Trump, seem to expect some immunity from a new batch of tariffs on European countries.

J. Edward Moreno19h

Latest Stories

Sherwood Media, LLC produces fresh and unique perspectives on topical financial news and is a fully owned subsidiary of Robinhood Markets, Inc., and any views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of any other Robinhood affiliate, including Robinhood Markets, Inc., Robinhood Financial LLC, Robinhood Securities, LLC, Robinhood Crypto, LLC, or Robinhood Money, LLC.

©2026 Sherwood Media, LLC