Why I Continue to Favor the Discounters

Article Published at http://www.investmentcontrarians.com/recession/why-i-continue-to-favor-the-discounters/941/

I recently discussed the upcoming key holiday shopping season that officially begins with the critical Black Friday on November 23 and its importance to the retail sector.

Discounter Target Corporation (NYSE/TGT) reported a slower rise in sales in October and will be betting on the holiday shopping season when some retailers can generate up to 40% of the company’s total annual sales. (Source: AP, “Target October sales figure rises,” Yahoo! Finance from The Associated Press, November 1, 2012.)

Consumer spending drives the retail sector, economy, and gross domestic product (GDP) growth.

Retail sales for October, excluding drugstores (comprising of 18 national retailers polled by Thomson Reuters), surged a better-than-expected 4.7% versus the estimate of 4.3%. (Source: “Retailers Report an Upbeat October,” The New York Times, November 1, 2012.)

The pickup in the retail sector is encouraging; and with the current decline in gasoline prices, the pickup in jobs, and the growing strength in the housing market and prices, retail sales could be strong.

Article Published at http://www.investmentcontrarians.com/recession/why-i-continue-to-favor-the-discounters/941/