Specialty Retail

Kasikorn Securities holds a positive view on PLANB and COM7 shares after COM7's extraordinary general meeting of shareholders resolved to approve the appointment of two new directors nominated by PLANB, namely Mr. Prin and Dr. Pinitjorn, to COM7's board. As a result, PLANB is highly likely to begin recognizing its share of profits from COM7 starting September 17, which should support profit growth in the fourth quarter of 2026 and continue into 2027. The research team maintains a buy recommendation on both stocks, setting a target price of 6.68 baht for PLANB, supported by its well-performing OOH media business, growth in its higher-margin non-OOH business, and full-year recognition of its share of COM7 profits in 2027. The stock also continues to trade below its historical average and below global peer comparisons. For COM7, the research team notes that the response to iPhone 18 Series pre-orders has been relatively good, and therefore expects third-quarter 2026 sales to grow both year on year and quarter on quarter. It maintains a buy recommendation with a target price of 34.12 baht, and views PLANB's average purchase price of 27.44 baht as potentially a suitable level for re-entering an investment.

Five Below reported second-quarter net sales up 22.9% year over year to $1.26 billion, with comparable sales rising 14.1% and adjusted earnings more than doubling to $1.68 per share. Adjusted operating income increased 105.3% to $113.2 million, and adjusted operating margin expanded about 360 basis points to 9%, helped by higher merchandise margins and fixed-cost leverage. The stock trades at 21.84X forward 12-month earnings, above 14.41X for its Zacks sub-industry and 19.54X for the S&P 500, though below its five-year median of 27.55X, while adjusted earnings are projected to rise 51.7% in fiscal 2026. Inventory reached $941.2 million at the end of the second quarter, up 17.7% year over year, and the company faces tariff, freight, competition and litigation risks. Competitors Dollar General and Dollar Tree posted same-store sales growth of 3.5% and 3.7%, respectively, in their fiscal second quarters. Five Below carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), a VGM Score of B and a Growth Score of B, alongside a Value Score of D and Momentum Score of C.

Five Below raised its fiscal 2026 outlook after second-quarter results exceeded expectations, lifting both its sales and earnings guidance. Adjusted earnings came in at $1.68 per share, topping the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.34, while net sales rose 22.9% year over year to $1.26 billion, above the consensus estimate of $1.192 billion. Comparable sales increased 14.1%, marking a fifth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth. The company now expects fiscal 2026 net sales of $5.63-$5.71 billion, up from $5.40-$5.48 billion, with comparable-sales growth of 10%-12% versus the prior 6%-8%, and adjusted earnings per share of $9.83-$10.31, up from $8.65-$9.05. Adjusted operating margin is expected to rise about 250 basis points year over year to roughly 12.5% at the midpoint, helped by merchandise-margin gains, fixed-cost leverage and lower tariff costs, though the guidance assumes tariff rates currently in place and faces higher outbound transportation fuel costs and a tougher shrink comparison.

Five Below shares have gained 26.9% over the past three months, helped by improving operating momentum, rising earnings expectations and management's upgraded fiscal 2026 outlook. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 earnings has increased 15.2% in the past four weeks. Comparable sales rose 14.1% in the fiscal second quarter, a fifth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth, driven by a 13.6% rise in transactions and a 0.4% increase in average transaction value, while the two-year comparable-sales stack reached 26.5%. Adjusted gross margin expanded about 220 basis points to 35.6%, adjusted operating margin rose about 360 basis points to 9%, and adjusted operating income increased 105.3% to $113.2 million. Management raised fiscal 2026 net sales guidance to $5.63-$5.71 billion and comparable-sales growth guidance to 10%-12%, and lifted adjusted earnings per share guidance to $9.83-$10.31 from $8.65-$9.05 previously, with adjusted operating margin expected to expand about 250 basis points to roughly 12.5% at the midpoint. FIVE trades at 21.8X forward 12-month earnings, above 14.3X for its Zacks sub-industry and 19.5X for the S&P 500, while inventory stood at $941.2 million, up 17.7% year over year, and the stock carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

RH announced the opening of RH Estates, The Gallery on Greenwich Avenue, marking the North American debut of its RH Estates concept and the brand's first freestanding Gallery in the world. The concept was previewed at RH Milan during Salone del Mobile and introduced with the opening of RH London. RH said RH Estates will significantly expand its retail presence across the globe this year, followed by a second freestanding RH Estates Gallery on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles opening in 2027. RH operates across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Europe, offering collections through its retail galleries, sourcebooks and online at RH.com, with integrated hospitality experiences in galleries throughout the United States and internationally.

COM7 disclosed that overall pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Series grew well above the previous generation, with the iPhone 18 Pro Max in Burgundy seeing the highest number of pre-orders, followed by the Glacier color. Kaewjiranai Kemasit, Senior Director of the Apple Product Group at Comseven Company Limited, or COM7, said that the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max come with the A20 Pro chip, a new-generation Vapor Chamber, and a dual 16-core Neural Engine, while the Trade IN+ campaign has drawn more than 100% more registrations from customers interested in trading in old devices for new ones compared with the previous generation. Thakol Niyomthai, Investor Relations at COM7, said the company offers a 0% installment program through credit cards for up to 36 months and UFUND loans with installments of up to 48 months, along with offers and privileges worth up to 10,000 baht, and will deliver the iPhone 18 Series through a network of more than 1,300 branches nationwide. The iPhone 18 Pro starts at 48,900 baht and the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at 52,900 baht. COM7 will officially open advance pre-orders for the iPhone Duo on October 16, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., with sales beginning on October 23, 2026, at a starting price of 79,900 baht. At the same time, Apple is preparing to launch the Apple Watch Series 12 starting at 14,900 baht, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 starting at 29,900 baht, the Apple Watch SE 3 starting at 8,500 baht, and the AirPods 5 starting at 4,790 baht.

Finansia Syrus Securities maintains a Buy rating on Comseven, or COM7, with a target price of 35 baht, after shareholders approved the appointment of two additional directors as expected: Mr. Parin Lojanagosin, Chief Executive Officer of Plan B Media, or PLANB, and Mr. Phinijsorn Luechaikhajornphan, a PLANB director. The move raises COM7's board to nine members from seven. The research team sees COM7 benefiting from its strategic alliance with PLANB, a major Thai out-of-home advertising operator, and is watching for further media collaboration, such as advertising inside Banana stores and on EV7 vehicles, which is initially expected to add roughly 1-2% upside to 2027 earnings. A key near-term catalyst is pre-orders for the new iPhone models. An initial check with COM7 found that pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, in unit terms, exceeded total pre-orders for all models in the iPhone 17 series, which the team views as positive for COM7's share sentiment. This is consistent with SIS Distribution (Thailand), or SYNEX, which saw pre-orders for those iPhone models rise from the same period a year earlier, with part of the increase likely due to a larger allocation of units compared with the iPhone 17 series. However, actual sales from the first day of availability on September 18, 2026 through the fourth quarter of 2026 still need to be monitored, along with the adequacy of supply of the new iPhone models going forward. The research team sees the trend as a supporting factor for Apple-related stocks and better than it and the market had previously expected, and reiterates its Buy rating on COM7 with a 35 baht target price and on SYNEX with a target price of 12.50 baht.

Asia Plus Securities has assessed COM7 shares after yesterday's shareholders' meeting approved the appointment of two additional directors, expanding the board from seven to nine members. Both are executives from Plan B Media Public Company Limited, or PLANB: Mr. Parin Lojanagosin, a major shareholder and Chief Executive Officer, and Mr. Phinijsorn Luechaikhajornphan, Chief Marketing Officer. PLANB previously invested in COM7 shares and currently holds 11.01% of the company's paid-up registered capital. Today COM7 begins selling the iPhone 18 on its first day, following strong reception and pre-orders. Starting prices for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are about 8% to 11% higher than the launch prices of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, and the company will begin recognizing revenue from September. The foldable-screen iPhone Duo, the most expensive model, starts at 79,900 baht and will go on sale in October. The research team views the addition of two PLANB directors as positive for both COM7 and PLANB, expecting synergies in the fourth quarter of 2026 through management of advertising space at COM7's nearly 1,400 branches, as well as advertising media on roughly 5,000 EV7 taxis this year. However, this upside is not yet included in estimates. For third-quarter 2026 earnings trends, the research team expects a slight decline quarter-on-quarter due to the low season and the fact that not all iPhone 18 models have launched, with the Standard model likely to debut in late first-quarter 2027. Still, profit is expected to grow strongly year-on-year, driven by the UFUND business, lending, and iCare electronic device insurance, which benefit from iPhone sales. The research team maintains its conservative net profit forecast for 2026 at 4.8 billion baht, up 18% year-on-year, and keeps its Trading recommendation with a 2027 target price of 33.00 baht, based on a PER of 14.9 times, the long-term average. It also expects strong year-on-year profit growth in the third quarter of 2026, accelerating in the fourth quarter of 2026 during the high season.

Krungsri Securities Public Company Limited said COM7 is a Conviction Call in the IT retail sector, taking a more positive view on normal profit momentum in 2H26F continuing into 2027F after 3QTD sales grew more than 20% y-y, above the company's assumption of 16% y-y, while bookings for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max remain strong even though average selling prices rose 8–11% y-y. This gives normal profit in 3Q26F a chance of upside from the current estimate of 1.1 billion baht to 1.3–1.4 billion baht. On the lending business, Ufund Capital plans a private placement capital increase for some alliance partners, raising registered capital from 600 million baht to 2.04 billion baht, which is expected to ease D/E constraints that are currently close to the loan covenant of 2.5 times and to increase capacity to support the next phase of UFUND loan portfolio expansion. The company is also considering revising up its 2026–27F profit estimates from the current forecast growth of 13% and 9% y-y, with every 1% of sales above assumption adding about 2% to normal profit and about 0.75 baht per share to the target price, while maintaining a Buy recommendation and a 2027F target price of 35.0 baht.

GameStop Corp. reported second-quarter net income of $298.7 million, up from $168.6 million a year earlier, even as revenue fell to $790.2 million from $972.2 million, according to a Wall Street Journal report on September 8, 2026. The video-game retailer raised its full-year adjusted EBITDA outlook to more than $650 million from a prior target of more than $600 million. Collectibles revenue jumped 57% year over year to about $356.3 million, now representing 45.1% of total sales and helping push gross margin to 43.7% from 29.1% a year earlier. Adjusted EBITDA rose to roughly $174 million from $75.7 million, and operating income reached $160.2 million, the highest for any second quarter in company history. The quarter's net income was boosted by approximately $238 million in net gains related to GameStop's equity stake in eBay, while a roughly $75 million loss on digital assets and related receivables showed the swing from its investment portfolio. Video-game revenue fell to about $263.2 million from $494.6 million a year earlier, and the company retired approximately $1.4 billion of convertible notes, reducing long-term debt to about $2.8 billion.

Academy Sports and Outdoors reported second-quarter results for the period ended August 1, 2026, with net sales up 3.0% to $1.65 billion and adjusted earnings per share climbing 19.1% to $2.31 from $1.94. Gross margin widened 440 basis points to 40.4%, though comparable sales fell 0.4%, and management lifted full-year adjusted EPS guidance to $6.50 to $6.90 and gross margin guidance to 35.5% to 36.0%. Four analysts raised their price targets without upgrading the stock: Telsey Advisory went to $63 from $60 at Outperform, Wells Fargo's Ike Boruchow to $55 from $50 at Equal Weight, Barclays analyst Adrienne Yih to $53 from $50 at Equal Weight, and UBS to $58 from $55 at Neutral, while BMO Capital initiated coverage at Market Perform with a $42 target. Supporting the quarter, e-commerce sales grew 12.8%, Sports and Recreation rose 6%, myAcademy loyalty membership passed 15 million, and the company raised adjusted free cash flow guidance to $300 million to $350 million after repurchasing $182.1 million of stock in the first half. Caution persists, however, as traffic from households earning under $50,000 fell high single digits, footwear sales declined 1%, inventory rose 4.4% year-over-year, and 510 basis points of tariff refund benefit inside the 40.4% gross margin will not repeat. Hedge fund ownership fell to 29 funds from 31 between the first and second quarters of 2026, with Royce & Associates holding the largest position at 1.08 million shares worth $51 million, and shares trade at 8.16 times forward earnings as of September 15, 2026, with short interest at 23.30% of float.

Abercrombie & Fitch has been rated Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) on the strength of recent upward revisions to consensus earnings estimates. The teen clothing retailer is expected to post earnings of $3.01 per share for the current quarter, a year-over-year change of +27.5%, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate up +7.6% over the last 30 days. For the current fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $11.42 indicates a year-over-year change of +15.8% and has risen +7.7% over the past month, while the next fiscal year's estimate of $12.41 points to a +8.6% change and has moved +8.1% in the same period. Revenue is forecast at $1.37 billion for the current quarter, up +5.9% year over year, with fiscal-year consensus sales estimates of $5.52 billion and $5.79 billion, each implying a +4.8% change. In its last reported quarter, Abercrombie posted revenues of $1.27 billion, up +4.8% year over year, and EPS of $2.42 versus $2.32 a year earlier, beating the Zacks Consensus revenue estimate of $1.24 billion by +1.94% and the EPS estimate by +24.1%.

Disclosure filings released after the September 17 market close produced a full slate of positive and negative developments relevant to investment decisions. On the positive side, Apple International raised its ordinary profit forecast for the current fiscal year by 18% and increased its dividend by 5 yen; Choshimaru reversed its current-year ordinary profit outlook to a 21% increase, projecting a record high for the first time in three terms along with a 1 yen dividend hike; Kasumigaseki Capital raised its prior-year ordinary profit forecast by 7%, adding to its record-high projection; and Hobonichi raised its prior-year ordinary profit forecast by 67%. In M&A, Saint Marc Holdings will take over the udon specialty restaurant business Tsurutontan from K Express for 12.8 billion yen, while B-style Holdings will acquire all shares of HR Asocié for 1.21 billion yen, making it a subsidiary. Ferrotec will launch a tender offer for Japan Resistor Manufacturing at 1,901 yen per share, a 49.1% premium to the September 17 closing price, aiming to make it a wholly owned subsidiary, while Nippon Seiki will buy back up to 3.61 million shares, or 6.27% of its outstanding shares, for a maximum of 9.979 billion yen. On the negative side, Chubu Steel Plate reversed its current-year ordinary profit outlook to a 46% decline; PharmaRise Holdings ended the June-August quarter with a 31% drop in ordinary profit; Industrial & Infrastructure Fund Investment Corporation is expected to post a 2% decline in current-year ordinary profit; Advance Residence Investment Corporation a 6% decline; and Ichigo Hotel REIT Investment Corporation an 18% decline.

Home Product Center Public Company Limited, or HMPRO, has invested over 310 million baht in a major renovation of its MegaHome construction materials and trades center at the Min Buri branch, adding a HomePro at the same location to create a hybrid store. Managing Director Weeraphan Angsumalee said the upgrade covers products ranging from decorative items to structural work, systems work, and tools, in order to meet rising demand from the trades and contractor market driven by new construction, extensions, and renovations in eastern Bangkok, especially the Khlong Sam Wa, Min Buri, and Nong Chok zones along Hathai Rat and Nimit Mai roads. Currently, within a 10-kilometer radius of the branch, there are nearly 130,000 households, and the area is growing at a rate of 2.99% per year. The branch will officially open on 18 September 2026, targeting revenue of over 80 million baht per month, with an opening celebration campaign running from 18 to 27 September 2026.

PTG, or PTG, announced a partnership with the Metropolitan Electricity Authority, or MEA, in a program that lets customers exchange electricity bills for points. This collaboration is seen as a new deal linking the energy business with MEA's public utility services. Details of the program were revealed on the program Je Ratchada Ma Mouth on September 17, 2026.

PTG Energy Public Company Limited, or PTG, expects its third-quarter 2026 operating results to be better than the first quarter of 2026, even though this is the low season for the oil retail business and overall national oil consumption is being pressured by high oil prices. Rangsan Puangprang, Senior Assistant Managing Director, said the company continues to focus on cost management to keep net profit stable. Pressure also comes from dry spells and drought driven by the El Nino phenomenon, which affects the agricultural, transport and commercial sectors. As for oil marketing margins, PTG views the current level as manageable for operators, after the government gained a better understanding of the cost structure. Earlier this year, rising global oil prices raised costs for more than 18,000 small service stations, leading to a supply chain shock. Most recently, Max Me Corp Company Limited, part of the PTG group, signed a three-year memorandum of cooperation with the Metropolitan Electricity Authority, or MEA, to link the benefits of members of both organisations. Electricity users can exchange MEA Points for Max Points to receive discounts on fuel, products, services or rewards within the PTG network, as well as discounts on electricity bills. A campaign will also give members who pay their MEA electricity bills through the Max Me application an extra 50 Max Points per bill, limited to three entitlements per member per month, from 17 September to 31 October 2026. PTG currently has a Max Card membership base of about 25 million, and aims to add about 1.5 to 2 million new members a year, while MEA has about 4.3 million members in Bangkok and its surrounding provinces. PTG also has a partnership with the Expressway Authority of Thailand, or EXAT, and plans to expand cooperation to the Provincial Electricity Authority, or PEA, in the future.

Max Me Corp Co., Ltd., part of PTG Energy Public Company Limited, or PTG, has signed a three-year memorandum of cooperation with the Metropolitan Electricity Authority, or MEA, under a program to exchange MEA Point and Max Point loyalty points. The program allows electricity users to convert MEA Point into Max Point and redeem them for discounts on fuel, products, services, or rewards within the PTG network, as well as for electricity bill discounts. Rangsan Puangprang, a director of Max Me Corp, said the company currently has a combined membership base of more than 25 million, while MEA has about 4.3 million customers, and he expects new partners in the utilities sector to keep joining. The program also includes a campaign to promote electricity bill payments, in which those who pay their MEA electricity bills through the Max Me application will receive an extra 50 points per electricity bill, limited to three entitlements per member per month, from September 17, 2026 to October 31, 2026. Pattra Suwandech, deputy governor of the Metropolitan Electricity Authority, said the partnership will expand the options for using points through the partner network and is an opportunity to build on cooperation in products, services, and innovation in the future. As for the earnings outlook for the third quarter of 2026, although it is a low season for the business due to higher oil prices and weaker consumption, sales are still better than in the first quarter of 2026 and marketing margins remain at a level the company can accept.

Home Products Center, or HMPRO, is investing more than 310 million baht to renovate its MegaHome Min Buri branch into a comprehensive hub for construction materials and contractor services. The project was disclosed by Weeraphan Angsumalee, Managing Director, and the branch will open for service on 18 September 2026, targeting revenue of more than 80 million baht per month. The company has added the HomePro business into the same location to expand its customer base to homeowners looking to renovate and decorate their residences, covering electrical appliances, sanitary ware, furniture, home decorations, as well as installation and after-sales services. The investment reflects the potential of eastern Bangkok, especially the Khlong Sam Wa, Min Buri and Nong Chok areas along Hathai Rat Road and Nimit Mai Road. Currently, within a 10-kilometre radius of the branch there are nearly 130,000 households, with a growth rate of about 2.99% per year. Weeraphan said the Hybrid Store model will help connect customer needs ranging from construction, structural work, contracting, extensions and renovations through MegaHome, while HomePro will fill in products and services for home decoration and improvement. The company aims to make MegaHome Min Buri the centre for home and contractor needs in eastern Bangkok over the long term.

Comseven Public Company Limited, or COM7, reported its second-quarter 2026 operating results, with net profit attributable to major shareholders of 1.30306 billion baht, up 29.9%, while first-half 2026 profit stood at 2.52925 billion baht, up 27.49%. Revenue from sales and services in the second quarter of 2026 was 24.111 billion baht, an increase of 3.398 billion baht, or 16.4%, compared with the same period last year, driven by smartphone demand growing across both the iOS and Android systems. Thakol Niyomthai, head of investor relations at Comseven Public Company Limited, or COM7, said on the company's earnings call that the company has raised its revenue growth target for this year to 10-15% compared with last year, up from an earlier expectation of 10% growth. Net profit after tax is expected to grow more than 20%, compared with an earlier target of 10-15% growth versus last year, supported by memory prices rising as much as 200-300% quarter on quarter. On the store front, the company expects to open a total of 1,400 branches this year across the BaNANA and Studio7 brands, having already reached 1,323 branches as of the end of the second quarter of 2026. In the electric vehicle business, it expects to sell 4,400 units this year, after selling 2,029 units of the AION i60 model in the first half. EV taxi leasing is expected to reach 5,000 units for the full year, after 3,829 units were leased out in the first half.

Nike reported second-quarter revenues of $10.97 billion, down 1.1% year on year but exceeding analysts' expectations by 1.1%, as the seven consumer discretionary footwear stocks tracked by the report collectively beat consensus revenue estimates by 1.3%. Steven Madden posted the group's best quarter, with revenues of $665.9 million, up 19.1% year on year and 4.8% above expectations, while Caleres delivered the weakest performance against estimates, reporting revenues of $695.5 million, up 5.6% but missing by 1%, alongside next-quarter and full-year EPS guidance that fell significantly short of expectations. Deckers reported revenues of $1.02 billion, up 5.7% and in line with expectations, and Crocs reported revenues of $1.18 billion, up 2.6% and 2.7% above expectations, though its next-quarter EPS guidance missed. Despite the broad revenue beats, footwear share prices have fallen 6.3% on average since the results, with Nike down 11.8% to $36.21, Deckers down 19.3% to $77.69, Crocs down 16.5% to $111.46, and Steven Madden down 6.8% to $40.46, while Caleres has risen 2.5% to $12.33.

American Eagle Outfitters has become an early adopter of Amazon Shipping and now counts the third-party parcel service among its best-performing carriers, company executives said Tuesday at Parcel Forum 26 in Orlando, Florida. American Eagle, which operates 1,170 stores across North America, four distribution centers and fulfills e-commerce orders from about 700 stores, pilot tested Amazon Shipping in the spring of 2025 and quickly folded the carrier into its transportation network in time for the peak holiday season. Brandon Friez, senior vice president of global logistics and supply chain intelligence, said Amazon Shipping solved the retailer's biggest pain points with seven-day-per-week delivery and price predictability, and that concerns about Prime Day delays never materialized, helping cut overall delivery time by 16%. Amazon's contact per order ratio is the best among the dozen carriers American Eagle uses, Friez added, and the retailer delivered its best peak ever for consumers. Amazon Shipping began a soft launch three years ago and has operated in Europe for five years, part of Amazon's broader push into third-party logistics that led the company earlier this year to launch Amazon Supply Chain Services as its go-to market brand. Theresa Uthurralt, director of business development for Amazon Shipping, said Amazon's internal data shows 85% of customers will not return to a seller after a bad delivery experience.

Tilly's, the 44-year-old mall retailer, reported second quarter fiscal 2026 net sales of $163.5 million, up 8.1% from a year earlier, and projected its first profitable full year since 2022 after closing 40 stores over roughly two years. Comparable net sales rose 12.1% for the quarter, with physical store net sales of $129.0 million, up 5.1%, and e-commerce net sales of $34.5 million, up 20.9%. Gross profit was $58.1 million, or 35.5% of net sales, compared with $49.1 million, or 32.5%, last year, while net income reached $8.4 million, or $0.27 per diluted share, versus $3.2 million, or $0.10 per diluted share, in 2025. The Irvine, California-based chain ended the quarter with 220 total stores, down 12 stores or 5.2% from 232 a year earlier, and expects to finish the fiscal year with 218 stores before targeting 5 to 8 new openings in fiscal 2027. CEO Nate Smith said the company is encouraged by its progress but "not finished," and management plans to launch an AI-driven smart inventory allocation tool and roll out RFID technology in stores starting in early 2027.

The TJX Companies has closed at least four TJ Maxx stores in 2026, according to Inc., even as the off-price retailer continues to grow its overall store base. The closures include locations in Gilbert, Arizona; Boston, Massachusetts; Silver Spring, Maryland; and Cumberland, Maryland. TJX CFO John Klinger said on the company's latest earnings call that strong comparable growth has given the retailer the ability to place stores closer together than previously thought, and that smaller-format stores allow expansion in densely populated urban areas. During the second quarter of fiscal 2027, TJX reported net sales climbed 5% year over year, consolidated comparable sales increased 4%, and diluted earnings per share rose 24% to $1.36. In the fiscal quarter ended Aug. 1, 2026, TJX increased its total store count by 23 locations to 5,285 stores and grew total square footage by 0.4% compared with the prior quarter, and it plans to accelerate store openings to 4% beginning next year with a long-term goal of 7,500 locations globally.

The TJX Companies raised its fiscal 2027 profit and earnings outlook after second-quarter results exceeded plan. Adjusted second-quarter earnings rose 11% year over year to $1.22 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.18, while net sales increased 5% to $15.18 billion and consolidated comparable sales advanced 4%. Adjusted gross margin increased 70 basis points to 31.4% and adjusted pretax profit margin expanded 50 basis points to 11.9%. TJX lifted its fiscal 2027 adjusted pretax profit margin outlook to 12% to 12.1% from 11.9% to 12%, and moved adjusted earnings guidance to $5.15 to $5.20 per share from $5.08 to $5.15, while continuing to expect consolidated comparable sales growth of 3% to 4% and sales of $63.4 billion to $63.8 billion. Marmaxx was the quarter's weakest division with comparable sales up 1%, offset by HomeGoods up 7%, TJX Canada up 6% and TJX International up 7%, and the company ended the quarter with 5,285 stores while raising its long-term global store target by 500 locations to 7,500.

TJX Companies raised its fiscal 2027 adjusted earnings guidance to $5.15 to $5.20 per share from $5.08 to $5.15, alongside expectations for comparable sales growth of 3% to 4% and consolidated sales of $63.4 billion to $63.8 billion, up 5% to 6%. The off-price retailer also lifted its long-term global store target by 500 locations to 7,500 and plans to accelerate annual store growth to 4% beginning in fiscal 2028. Operating cash flow reached $3.3 billion in the first half of fiscal 2027, up from $2.2 billion a year earlier, and TJX returned $2.4 billion to shareholders in the first half, including $1.4 billion of share repurchases and $1 billion of dividends, while management continues to expect fiscal 2027 repurchases of about $2.75 billion to $3 billion. The growth case faces execution and cost risks: Marmaxx comparable sales rose just 1% in the second quarter, and adjusted selling, general and administrative costs were 19.7% of sales, 20 basis points unfavorable year over year on higher store wage and payroll costs, with third-quarter adjusted gross margin projected at 32.1% to 32.2%, down 40-50 basis points on higher fuel costs. TJX's forward 12-month price-to-sales ratio of 2.06 sits above the Zacks sub-industry's 1.58 and the stock's five-year median of 1.95, and its first-year forward P/E is 33.41, leaving the investment case tied to earnings delivery, Marmaxx improvement and progress toward the larger store target.

Boot Barn Holdings reported that e-commerce same-store sales climbed 13.4% year over year in the first quarter of fiscal 2027, outpacing a 3.8% rise in retail-store comps and lifting consolidated same-store sales 4.7%. Higher comparable sales and new-store contributions drove net sales up 17.7% to $593.5 million, with the retailer opening 27 stores in the quarter to end the period with 566 locations across 49 states. Management's fiscal 2027 guidance calls for e-commerce same-store sales growth of 11-13% against projected retail-store comp growth of 1-3%, with consolidated same-store sales expected to rise 2-4% and total sales forecast between $2.58 billion and $2.63 billion, representing 14-16% growth. Preliminary July e-commerce comps moderated to 10.7% while consolidated comps were approximately flat amid difficult comparisons and weaker event-related store traffic, though the online channel maintained double-digit growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate implies fiscal 2027 earnings growth of 22.6% and fiscal 2028 growth of 10.5%, with both estimates revised upward over the past 60 days.

Carvana announced it is expanding same-day vehicle delivery to customers in the greater Minneapolis area, allowing select local buyers to receive a vehicle the same day they order on Carvana.com. Local customers looking to sell their vehicles to Carvana can also schedule pickup and drop-off as soon as the same day they complete the company's online appraisal process. The offering relies on Carvana's first-party logistics network and regional Inspection and Reconditioning Centers, and Jacqueline Hearns, Carvana's Senior Director of Market Operations and Expansion, said the company is making it easier for eligible Twin Cities customers to buy or sell a car on their own schedule. The service initially launched in Arizona and is now available in select markets across more than 20 states, with the company planning to keep scaling it regionally as it expands its national logistics and reconditioning infrastructure. Carvana, which launched in 2013, says more than 4 million customers have used its automotive e-commerce platform to shop, sell, finance and trade in vehicles entirely online.

GameStop reported second-quarter 2026 sales of US$790.2 million and net income of US$298.7 million, alongside record Q2 operating income and sharply higher adjusted operating earnings. The company's collectibles business surged 57% and has grown to represent 45.1% of net sales, while adjusted EBITDA more than doubled, even as overall revenue fell year on year. CEO Ryan Cohen recently bought 1,000,000 shares on the open market using personal funds, and the company has paused buybacks under its new program. Five Simply Wall St Community fair value views on the stock span roughly US$30 to over US$400 per share, reflecting wide disagreement on how durable the collectibles growth and investment gains will prove.

Krungsri Securities said that Dohome Public Company Limited, or DOHOME, still saw same-store sales, or SSS, grow 4-6% year on year in the third quarter. In the first 10 days of September, even without the boost from a low steel sales base as in July and August, SSS still grew at a mid-level pace on strong orders from the contractor group, especially ongoing project work for government agencies. As a result, SSS for the Back Office group grew 6-9%, while in-store sales rose 1-3%. For the remainder of the quarter, it expects accelerated budget disbursement late in the year to support SSS in the third quarter of 2026, still growing 4-6% year on year, compared with 1.8% growth in the second quarter of 2026. On gross profit margin, or GPM, it is expected to return to 17-18%, close to the third quarter of 2025 but down from 19.8% in the second quarter of 2026, after the boost from low-cost inventory and the timing of rising steel selling prices faded. Steel GPM fell to 7-9% from 12-14% in the second quarter of 2026 and is slightly below the normal level of 10-12%, but the House Brand proportion rose to 18-19% from 17-18% in the third quarter of 2025, helping offset weaker steel margins. The company still has no plans to open additional large-format branches in the second half of 2026, from 27 branches at present, and is instead focusing on expanding Dohome ToGo, which are small-format branches and account for only 2-3% of revenue, from 29 branches at the end of the second quarter of 2026, an increase of 6 branches from the first half, with a target of expanding to 50 branches by 2027. Krungsri also maintained its net profit forecast for 2026 at 831 million baht, up 38% year on year, and expects normal profit in the third quarter of 2026 at 130-140 million baht, up 32% year on year. It maintained its Buy recommendation with a 2027 target price of 4.40 baht, seeing DOHOME entering a clearer recovery cycle after SSS returned to positive territory and the Private brand proportion increased, while the one-year forward PER is near the lower end of its historical trading range, making the risk-reward still attractive.

MGC is advancing its Mobility Ecosystem through its SIXT car rental business by partnering with ROYS HOTEL to provide guest shuttle services using XPENG electric vehicles, catering to the tourism market and the clean energy vehicle trend. Ms. Sukolkarn Thammachuanwiriya, Director and Chief Corporate Communications and Customer Relations Officer of Millennium Group Corporation (Asia) Public Company Limited, or MGC, stated that the car rental business continues to generate steadily increasing recurring revenue, and in terms of marketing, SIXT has been brought in to complement the hotel business. SIXT Car Rental Thailand is a global short-term car rental and limousine service brand operated under MGC. As for ROYS HOTEL, a business in the Thammachuanwiriya family, a budget of 300 million baht has been allocated for a major renovation of the building and premises from its former name ROYAL SUITE, which opened in 1997, to elevate it to a 4-star standard under the theme Design Your Stay. The hotel will have a total of 153 rooms, sized from approximately 25 square meters and up, and aims to open rooms on floors 8 to 11 in time for the High Season, with full 100% operations targeted within 2027.