DDS
Dillard'sFDocument history
Earnings documents stored for DDS.
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-06-16Dave & Buster's Q1 Earnings & Revenues Miss on Weak Comps, Stock Down
Zacks
Dave & Buster's Q1 Earnings & Revenues Miss on Weak Comps, Stock Down
Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. PLAY reported weak first-quarter fiscal 2026 results, with adjusted earnings and revenues missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Both metrics also declined on a year-over-year basis.The quarter was primarily weighed down by weaker customer demand at existing locations, as reflected in lower comparable-store sales. This softness, particularly in the company's core entertainment segment, contributed to an overall decline in revenues. At the same time, profitability came under pressure due to higher labor, administrative and depreciation-related expenses, which compressed operating margins.Despite a challenging quarter, Dave & Buster's highlighted several encouraging developments. Management noted that its back-to-basics strategy is gaining traction, with improvements across food and beverage offerings, marketing initiatives and the refreshed remodel program contributing to a stronger guest experience. The company continued to execute on its growth strategy through new store openings, remodel activities and international franchise expansion.Following the announcement, PLAY stock declined 11.2% during the after-hours trading session yesterday. For the fiscal first quarter, the company reported adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of 22 cents, which missed the consensus mark of 37 cents by 40.5%. In the year-ago quarter, it had reported an adjusted EPS of 76 cents. Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. Quote Quarterly revenues of $559.2 million missed the consensus estimate of $571 million by 2.1% and declined 1.5% year over year. The top line was pressured by a $29.2 million decline in comparable store revenues, partly offset by an $18.1 million increase in noncomparable store revenues. Food and Beverage revenues (38.3% of total revenues in the reported quarter) increased 6.5% year over year to $214.1 million. The company cited eat-and-play combo enhancements and menu changes made in the second half of fiscal 2025 as factors supporting higher food attach rates and check growth. Our estimate was $202.5 million.Entertainment revenues (61.7%) fell 5.9% year over year to $345.1 million. Our estimate was $373.1 million. Comparable store sales (including Main Event-branded locations) declined 5.4% year over year. Management attributed the decline in comparable store...
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-06-10Dillard's (DDS) Valuation Check After Strong First Quarter Beat And Upgraded Earnings Outlook
Simply Wall St.
Dillard's (DDS) Valuation Check After Strong First Quarter Beat And Upgraded Earnings Outlook
Get insights on thousands of stocks from the global community of over 7 million individual investors at Simply Wall St. Dillard's (DDS) is back in focus after the company reported a strong first quarter, with revenue and net income rising year over year and results coming in ahead of analyst expectations. See our latest analysis for Dillard's. The stock has cooled slightly in the latest session, with a 1-day share price return decline of 0.47%. Recent momentum remains positive, including an 8.16% 30-day share price return and a 5-year total shareholder return of 382.79%, suggesting investors have been rewarding the business over time. If Dillard's strong run has you looking around the market, this could be a good moment to broaden your watchlist with 20 top founder-led companies With Dillard's stock trading above the average analyst price target and an intrinsic value estimate that sits well below the current share price, you have to ask: Is there still upside here, or is the market already pricing in future growth? Dillard's trades on a P/E of 14.5x, which sits below the broader US market but above its immediate peer group and above an estimated fair level for the stock. The P/E ratio compares the share price with earnings per share, so it gives you a quick sense of how much investors are paying for each dollar of profit. For a mature multiline retailer like Dillard's, this often reflects expectations around how resilient earnings might be and how sustainable recent profit trends are. Here, Dillard's P/E of 14.5x is below the Global Multiline Retail industry average of 18.7x and also below the wider US market at 18.7x. This suggests the stock is not priced at a premium versus the broader sector. At the same time, it sits above both the peer average P/E of 13.8x and the estimated fair P/E of 10.3x. This indicates the multiple is higher than the level the market could move towards if sentiment or assumptions around earnings ease back. Explore the SWS fair ratio for Dillard's Result: Price-to-Earnings of 14.5x (OVERVALUED) However, recent declines in net income and the stock trading above both analyst targets and intrinsic estimates could limit the level of optimism investors are willing to sustain. Wall Street's queuing for one rocket. While SpaceX counts down to its IPO, other companies tied to the new space race are already in orbit. → 20 Compelling Space C...
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-06-09General Merchandise Retail Stocks Q1 Results: Benchmarking Dillard's (NYSE:DDS)
StockStory
General Merchandise Retail Stocks Q1 Results: Benchmarking Dillard's (NYSE:DDS)
Let’s dig into the relative performance of Dillard's (NYSE:DDS) and its peers as we unravel the now-completed Q1 general merchandise retail earnings season. General merchandise retailers–also called broadline retailers–know you’re busy and don’t want to drive around wasting time and gas, so they offer a one-stop shop. Convenience is the name of the game, so these stores may sell clothing in one section, toys in another, and home decor in a third. This concept has evolved over time from department stores to more niche concepts targeting bargain hunters or young adults, and e-commerce has forced these retailers to be extra sharp in their value propositions to consumers, whether that’s unique product or competitive prices. The 8 general merchandise retail stocks we track reported a very strong Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.5% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 0.8% below. In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 4.2% on average since the latest earnings results. With stores located largely in the Southern and Western US, Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) is a department store chain that sells clothing, cosmetics, accessories, and home goods. Dillard's reported revenues of $1.59 billion, up 2.7% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 1.3%. Overall, it was a very strong quarter for the company with a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA and EPS estimates. Dillard’s Chief Executive Officer William T. Dillard, II commented, “We are pleased to report a good start to 2026 with a profitable 3% sales growth supported by an increased 45.8% retail gross margin. We continue to focus on motivating our customer with newness in our merchandise assortment.” Interestingly, the stock is up 14.8% since reporting and currently trades at $611.87. Is now the time to buy Dillard's? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free. Selling excess inventory or overstocked items from other retailers, Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) is an off-price concept that sells apparel and other goods at prices much lower than department stores. Ross Stores reported revenues of $6.01 billion, up 20.6% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 6.6%. The business had a stunning quarter with EPS guidance for next quarter exceeding analysts’ expectations and a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA es...
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-06-04Macy's Beats Q1 Earnings Estimates on Comps Growth, Raises FY27 View
Zacks
Macy's Beats Q1 Earnings Estimates on Comps Growth, Raises FY27 View
Macy’s, Inc. M reported first-quarter fiscal 2026 results, wherein earnings and revenues surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Also, both metrics increased from the year-ago quarter.The company delivered its strongest fiscal first-quarter comparable-sales performance in four years, supported by positive sales growth across all three nameplates — Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury. Management highlighted that the company’s Bold New Chapter strategy continues to gain traction, driving broad-based operational and financial improvements.Encouraged by the strong fiscal first-quarter performance and positive second-quarter trends, management raised its fiscal 2026 outlook for net sales, comparable sales and adjusted earnings per share, reflecting confidence in the momentum of its go-forward business. Macy's, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Macy's, Inc. Quote The company reported adjusted earnings of 13 cents per share, comfortably surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 2 cents and improving from adjusted earnings of 11 cents in the year-ago quarter. Earnings per share were 23 cents compared with 13 cents in the prior-year period.Net sales of $4,682 million surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4,623 million. The top line increased 1.8% year over year, benefiting from positive comparable sales across all three nameplates. Comparable sales rose 3%, marking the company’s strongest fiscal first-quarter comparable-sales performance in four years. We expected comparable sales to increase 1% in the quarter under review.M’s go-forward business comps, including go-forward locations and digital platforms across Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury, increased 3.1% on an owned-plus-licensed-plus-marketplace basis.Net credit card revenues were $172 million, up 11.7% year over year, driven by the company’s healthy credit portfolio and prudent management of net credit card losses. The metric represented 3.7% of net sales compared with 3.3% in the year-ago quarter.Macy’s Media Network revenues were $38 million, down 5% year over year, indicating the timing of advertising spending on a year-over-year basis. The metric represented 0.8% of net sales compared with 0.9% in the prior-year quarter. Comps across the Macy’s brand increased 1.6% year over year on an owned-plus-licensed-plus-marketplace basis. Reimagine 200 locations continued to outperform, with...
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-06-02Kohl's Stock Soars After Better-Than-Feared Quarter
MarketBeat
Kohl's Stock Soars After Better-Than-Feared Quarter
Interested in Kohl's Corporation? Here are five stocks we like better. Kohl's reported better-than-expected first-quarter earnings and revenue and delivered its strongest comparable sales performance in more than four years, sending shares sharply higher. Despite the encouraging results, Kohl's still reported a quarterly loss and a decline in sales, highlighting that the retailer's turnaround remains a work in progress. Wall Street remains cautious on the stock, and recent analyst actions have been mixed, including a Citigroup upgrade to Buy following the earnings report. Kohl's Corp. (NYSE: KSS) delivered first-quarter results last week that were better than Wall Street had feared. While sales still declined and Kohl's posted a loss for the quarter, the retailer delivered its best comparable sales performance in more than four years and topped analyst expectations on both earnings and revenue. The report sent shares soaring, fueling optimism that the retailer's multiyear turnaround effort may finally be gaining traction. → Palantir’s Drone Tailwind Puts Its Defense AI Story Back in Focus for Investors For the quarter, Kohl's reported a loss of 13 cents per share, matching its year-ago loss and coming in ahead of Wall Street's expectation for an 18-cent-per-share loss. Revenue of $3.17 billion declined 1.7% from the prior year but exceeded analyst estimates by nearly $177 million. Comparable sales (comps) fell 1.1% year over year. → Best Buy’s AI Laptop Boost Sparks Hope for a BBY Turnaround The company said the decline in sales was driven primarily by fewer in-store transactions. Within the business, Kohl's proprietary brands were a bright spot, with comps rising 6%. Four lines of business posted flat-to-slightly positive comp growth, including women's, kids, accessories, and home. Men's and footwear were weaker and underperformed the company overall. → 3 Up-and-Coming Stocks That Could Be the Next NVIDIA The company also strengthened its balance sheet during the quarter, improving its net cash position by more than $800 million and reducing inventory by approximately 8%. Kohl's reaffirmed its full-year outlook, as it continues to expect comps to range from down 2% to flat compared with 2025. The company also maintained its forecast for an operating margin of 2.8% to 3.4% and earnings per diluted share of $1 to $1.60. On the earnings call, Chief Executive O...
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-05-19Dillard’s Posted a Huge Earnings Beat—So Why Did the Rally Fade?
MarketBeat
Dillard’s Posted a Huge Earnings Beat—So Why Did the Rally Fade?
Interested in Dillard's, Inc.? Here are five stocks we like better. Dillard’s posted a massive first-quarter earnings beat, but much of the upside was driven by a litigation settlement that added $5.10 per share after taxes. Revenue rose 2.7% year over year, same-store sales increased 3%, and gross margin improved, showing the department store chain is still generating solid underlying results. Despite Dillard’s strong profitability metrics and massive five-year rally, analysts remain cautious on the stock, with Wall Street’s average price target below current trading levels. Dillard’s Inc. (NYSE: DDS) stock surged after the company posted a massive first-quarter earnings beat, but the rally quickly faded as investors realized much of the upside was tied to a litigation settlement. Shares ultimately ended the session only slightly higher, as investors appeared more cautious after digging into the report. Some enthusiasm may also have been tempered by the company’s incredible multi-year run. Shares, which had climbed more than 270% over the past five years, began to pull back from their all-time highs as investors reassessed the stock following the massive rally. → Why Applied Optoelectronics Stock May Be Near a Turning Point It’s easy to see why Dillard’s stock rallied immediately following the report. The department store chain reported Q1 earnings on May 14 of $16.04 per share, significantly higher than year-ago earnings of $10.39 and $5.91 above Wall Street’s expectations of $10.13 per share. Earnings received a major boost from a litigation settlement, which added $5.10 per share after taxes. The company said the settlement followed a long-standing lawsuit regarding payment card interchange fees. → The Pentagon's AI Pivot Supercharges Defense Stocks Revenue for the quarter came in at $1.59 billion, up 2.7% from the prior year and topping estimates by nearly $34 million. Meanwhile, same-store sales rose 3%, while margins improved. Operating expenses increased during the quarter, however, largely due to higher payroll and payroll-related expenses. Inventory rose 3%. → Is Everspin Technologies the Next AI Edge Breakout? Dillard’s said year-over-year sales increases were reported across all merchandise categories, with significant gains in home and furniture, ladies’ accessories, lingerie, and shoes. The company saw more moderate increases in men’s apparel a...
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-05-17Assessing Dillard's (DDS) Valuation After Recent Share Price Pullback And Mixed Earnings Signals
Simply Wall St.
Assessing Dillard's (DDS) Valuation After Recent Share Price Pullback And Mixed Earnings Signals
Track your investments for FREE with Simply Wall St, the portfolio command center trusted by over 7 million individual investors worldwide. Dillard's (DDS) has seen mixed share performance recently, with the stock up about 34% over the past year, yet down around 15% year to date and roughly 16% over the past 3 months. See our latest analysis for Dillard's. At a share price of $538.69, Dillard's has given investors strong multi year total shareholder returns. However, recent share price weakness suggests momentum has cooled as investors reassess growth and risk. If Dillard's recent pullback has you thinking about where else capital could work, this is a good moment to broaden your search with 19 top founder-led companies With Dillard's trading around $538.69, close to the latest analyst price target and with recent returns cooling, investors may question whether this retail stock is now undervalued or whether the market is already pricing in future growth. Dillard's current P/E of 12.8x sits below the wider US market multiple of 18.4x and roughly in line with its multiline retail peers at 13x, yet still slightly above the estimated fair P/E of 11.9x, which points to a modestly expensive valuation on this measure. The P/E ratio compares the share price with earnings per share, so it reflects what investors are willing to pay today for each dollar of current earnings. For a mature retailer like Dillard's, this is a common yardstick investors use to judge whether the current price makes sense against its earnings profile. Here, the stock trades on a lower P/E than the broader US market and below the global multiline retail average of 19.3x. This suggests the market is not assigning a premium for Dillard's earnings. However, the P/E is still above the fair P/E estimate of 11.9x. This implies the market is pricing the stock a little higher than the level the fair ratio model points to and could move toward if expectations cool. Against the industry, the current 12.8x P/E looks restrained given that the global multiline retail average is 19.3x. This gap shows investors are applying a discount to Dillard's relative to global peers even as it trades slightly richer than its own fair P/E benchmark. Explore the SWS fair ratio for Dillard's Result: Price-to-earnings of 12.8x (OVERVALUED) However, recent share price weakness and annual net income growth moving about 7.5%...
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-05-15Buy Dillard's (DDS) Stock After Its Massive Q1 Earnings Beat?
Zacks
Buy Dillard's (DDS) Stock After Its Massive Q1 Earnings Beat?
Dillard’s DDS gave a reminder of why it has quietly been one of retail’s strongest long-term performers after crushing Q1 earnings expectations on Thursday morning. While department store peers continue to battle weak discretionary spending and shrinking margins, Dillard’s once again showed the ability to protect profitability and generate impressive cash flow. That said, investors may still be contemplating whether much of the upside is already priced in for the leading department store chain’s stock, especially with one-time gains boosting its strong quarterly results. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Dillard’s reported Q1 earnings per share of $16.04, crushing consensus estimates of $10.13 by 58%. EPS also surged from $10.39 in the year-ago quarter. Part of the earnings strength came from a $104.1 million pre-tax litigation settlement tied to interchange fee disputes involving credit card transactions. The settlement added roughly $5.10 per share to quarterly earnings. Even excluding the legal benefit, however, Dillard’s continued to show impressive operational discipline. The company has now topped EPS expectations for seven consecutive quarters, delivering an average earnings surprise of 27.9% over its last four reports. Revenue also came in ahead of expectations. Q1 sales rose 3% year over year to $1.56 billion, topping analyst estimates of $1.53 billion. Dillard’s has exceeded revenue estimates in three of its last four quarterly reports. Perhaps most impressive was the company’s cash generation. Operating cash flow jumped 56% year over year to $364 million from $232.6 million in the prior-year quarter, highlighting the strength of Dillard’s profitability and inventory management. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research One of the biggest reasons Dillard’s has significantly outperformed many traditional retailers over the long run has been its disciplined capital allocation strategy. The company has aggressively reduced its share count for more than a decade, turning stock buybacks into a major driver of EPS growth. Since 2012, Dillard’s shares outstanding have declined from roughly 54 million to about 16 million today. That trend continued during Q1, as Dillard’s repurchased approximately 276,000 shares for $98 million at an average price of $355.65 per share. Combined with the company’s strong balance sheet and consistent profitability, Dilla...
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-05-15Dillard's Q1 Earnings & Sales Beat Estimates, Retail Sales Up 3%
Zacks
Dillard's Q1 Earnings & Sales Beat Estimates, Retail Sales Up 3%
Dillard's Inc. DDS posted first-quarter fiscal 2026 results, wherein the top and bottom lines surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Also, the company’s sales and earnings increased year over year. Results reflected higher store productivity, with comparable store sales (comps) increasing 3% and management pointing to newness in the merchandise assortment as a key catalyst for demand. Our model had anticipated comps to rise 1.2% for the first quarter. The company reported first-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings of $16.04 per share, which grew 54.4% from $10.39 in the year-ago quarter and beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $10.13. Net sales rose 2.6% year over year to $1.57 billion and surpassed the consensus mark of $1.54 billion. Dillard’s recorded a pre-tax gain of $104.1 million, net of legal fees, associated with the settlement of a long-standing lawsuit related to payment card interchange fees. Retail sales improved 3% year over year, with the company noting that all merchandise categories posted gains compared with the prior-year period. The strongest momentum was seen in home and furniture, ladies’ accessories and lingerie, and shoes, while sales in men’s apparel and accessories, juniors’ and children’s apparel and ladies’ apparel rose moderately. Sales in cosmetics grew slightly in the quarter. During the quarter, Dillard’s introduced a 160,000-square-foot location at The Mall at Fairfield Commons in Beavercreek, OH, expanding its presence in that market. Overall, the company operated 272 Dillard’s stores, including 28 clearance centers, across 30 states. Dillard's, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Dillard's, Inc. Quote Profitability improved on the merchandise side, with consolidated gross margin rising 60 basis points (bps) to 44.5% from 43.9% in the year-ago period. The retail gross margin rate increased 30 bps to 45.8% from 45.5%, signaling modest improvement in merchandise margin and pricing dynamics. We anticipated a 60-bps contraction in consolidated gross margin. By category, Dillard’s indicated that retail gross margin rose moderately in shoes and slightly in ladies’ accessories and lingerie. Margin rates were unchanged in juniors’ and children’s apparel, cosmetics, and men’s apparel and accessories, while ladies’ apparel and home and furniture posted slight to moderate declines. Consolidated selling, general and administrative expens...
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-05-14Dillard’s, Inc. Reports First Quarter Results
GlobeNewswire
Dillard’s, Inc. Reports First Quarter Results
LITTLE ROCK, Ark., May 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dillard’s, Inc. (NYSE: DDS) (the “Company” or “Dillard’s”) announced operating results for the 13 weeks ended May 2, 2026. This release contains certain forward-looking statements. Please refer to the Company’s cautionary statements included below under “Forward-Looking Information.” Dillard’s Chief Executive Officer William T. Dillard, II commented, “We are pleased to report a good start to 2026 with a profitable 3% sales growth supported by an increased 45.8% retail gross margin. We continue to focus on motivating our customer with newness in our merchandise assortment.” Highlights of the First Quarter (compared to the prior year first quarter): Total retail sales increased 3% Comparable store sales increased 3% Net income of $250.6 million compared to $163.8 million Earnings per share of $16.04 compared to $10.39 Retail gross margin of 45.8% of sales compared to 45.5% of sales Operating expenses were $444.0 million (28.3% of sales) compared to $421.7 million (27.6% of sales) Ending inventory increased 3% First Quarter Results Dillard’s reported net income for the 13 weeks ended May 2, 2026 of $250.6 million, or $16.04 per share, compared to $163.8 million, or $10.39 per share, for the 13 weeks ended May 3, 2025. Included in net income for the 13 weeks ended May 2, 2026 is a pre-tax gain on litigation settlement, net of legal fees, of $104.1 million ($79.6 million after tax or $5.10 per share) related to the Company’s favorable settlement of a long-standing lawsuit involving payment card interchange fees. Sales Net sales for the 13 weeks ended May 2, 2026 and May 3, 2025 were $1.568 billion and $1.529 billion, respectively. Net sales includes the operations of the Company’s construction business, CDI Contractors, LLC (“CDI”). Total retail sales (which excludes CDI) for the 13 weeks ended May 2, 2026 and May 3, 2025 were $1.518 billion and $1.468 billion, respectively. Total retail sales increased 3% for the 13-week period ended May 2, 2026 compared to the 13-week period ended May 3, 2025. Sales in comparable stores for the same period increased 3%. All merchandise categories reported sales increases compared to the prior year first quarter. Sales increased significantly in home and furniture, ladies’ accessories and lingerie and shoes. Sales in men’s apparel and accessories, juniors’ and children’s appare...
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-05-14Dillard's (DDS) Q1 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
Zacks
Dillard's (DDS) Q1 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
Dillard's (DDS) came out with quarterly earnings of $16.04 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $10.13 per share. This compares to earnings of $10.39 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +58.34%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this department store operator would post earnings of $9.98 per share when it actually produced earnings of $10.08, delivering a surprise of +1%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times. Dillard's, which belongs to the Zacks Retail - Regional Department Stores industry, posted revenues of $1.57 billion for the quarter ended April 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.12%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $1.53 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates three times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. Dillard's shares have lost about 12.1% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 8.8%. While Dillard's has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Dillard's was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks...
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-05-14Pre-Markets Up on Earnings Beats, Optimism
Zacks
Pre-Markets Up on Earnings Beats, Optimism
Thursday, May 14th, 2026 Pre-market futures are up at this hour, just rolling off their peaks but still impressive. Optimism abounds as President Trump speaks with President Xi in Beijing, Q1 earnings season continues at its robust pace, and apparently no news is good news when it comes to the war in Iran or the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The Dow is +416 points currently, the S&P 500 is +29 and the Nasdaq +67. The small-cap Russell 2000 is +12 points at this hour. Cisco Systems CSCO shares are trading up +15% this morning, following its impressive fiscal Q3 report yesterday after the close. The tech equipment behemoth has now established itself as a winning player in the AI space, reporting record revenues and beating earnings estimates decisively. We also see a bevy of new economic data ahead of today’s opening bell. Initial Jobless Claims for last week reached +211K, the highest level we’ve seen in a month and above the 205K anticipated. The prior week was revised down to +199K, which are absolute historic levels of low jobless claims. Continuing Claims also bumped up a tad, to 1.782 million from a downwardly revised 1.758 million the previous week, which is a level we haven’t seen since January of 2024. As expected, April Retail Sales came in at +0.5% — less than a third of the downwardly revised +1.6% from the prior month, which was the strongest month for retail sales since March 2025, directly ahead of the “Liberation Day” tariffs of last year. Ex-autos, this number ebbs to +0.7%, 10 basis points (bps) lower than projected but less than half March’s +1.9%. Minus autos and gasoline sales, we remain at +0.5%, as we do with the Control number, also at +0.5%. This was expected to come in at +0.4% and follows the upwardly revised +0.8% for March, which clearly was a strong month for retail sales across the board. Today’s +0.5% headline is the second-lowest of 2026 so far. The biggest differential in actual numbers versus estimates this morning is in April’s Import Prices: +1.9%, 100 bps higher than consensus and the loftiest mark since March of 2022. Ex-fuel, where obviously most of these higher prices are coming from, we’re still above expectations at +0.7%. Year over year, Import Prices climbed to heights not seen since October of 2022: +4.2%. Exports also spiked to their highest levels since March of 2022: +3.3% — virtually doubling expectations. Y...

