Financial Wire

Sector Update: Consumer Stocks Decline Pre-Bell Monday

-- Consumer stocks were declining pre-bell Monday, with the State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) down 0.2% and the State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) 0.5% lower.

Lululemon athletica (LULU) said it has launched its e-commerce platform in Mexico. Lululemon athletica stock was 0.5% lower premarket.

Ingles Markets (IMKTA) shareholders are being urged by proxy advisory firms Institutional Shareholder Services, Glass Lewis, and Egan-Jones Ratings to support activist investor Summer Road nominee Rory Held for election to the company's board at its 2026 annual meeting, according to a statement issued by Summer Road. Ingles Markets stock was nearly 2% higher premarket.

LCI Industries (LCII) and Patrick Industries (PATK) said they were in discussions regarding a potential business combination. Shares of Patrick Industries were up more than 2% pre-bell.

Related Articles

Australia

Ulta Beauty's TikTok Shop Expected to Drive New Guest Acquisition and Help Build Emerging Brands, Oppenheimer Says

Ulta Beauty's (ULTA) recently launched TikTok Shop is expected to drive new guest acquisition for the company and help build emerging brands, Oppenheimer said in a research note on Monday.After attending an Ulta analyst event and Ulta Beauty World, Oppenheimer said the company's management sees a significant opportunity in the wellness category.Ulta has already expanded its wellness assortment to more than 400 stores and is also growing through the marketplace, while working to develop a differentiated guest experience with a unique assortment, Oppenheimer said.Oppenheimer also said it was increasingly confident in the company's efforts to keep selling, general, and administrative expense growth below or in line with sales, though Ulta will still make additional investments to drive top-line growth profitably if needed.The brokerage said it remains upbeat on Ulta Beauty's longer-term prospects and bullish on Chief Executive Officer Kecia Steelman's leadership and strategic efforts to drive additional market share gains over time.Oppenheimer maintained its outperform rating on the stock and its $650 price target.Price: $559.84, Change: $+6.48, Percent Change: +1.17%

$ULTA
US Markets

Cleveland-Cliffs Beats First-Quarter Forecasts as Loss Narrows; CEO Signals Profit Ahead

Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) first-quarter loss narrowed more than expected with revenue exceeding market estimates, while CEO Lourenco Goncalves said the steel producer anticipates a return to profit in the second quarter.The company said Monday its adjusted loss narrowed to $0.40 a share in the March quarter from the loss of $0.93 a year earlier, compared with the consensus on FactSet for a loss of $0.43. Revenue rose to $4.92 billion from $4.63 billion, topping the Street's view for $4.81 billion.First-quarter results "reflected the impact of short-term headwinds like energy prices and price realization lags," Goncalves said in a statement. "As we move through the year, each quarter is expected to improve sequentially, as the momentum already visible in both our order book and pricing continues to translate into earnings and cash flow."The company expects to "generate healthy positive free cash flow" in the second quarter, marking a return to earnings, Goncalves added.Steel product sales volume fell to 4.11 million net tons in the first quarter from 4.14 million a year earlier. Steelmaking revenue climbed to $4.76 billion from $4.47 billion.The conflict in the Middle East has strengthened Cleveland-Cliffs' "competitive position," Goncalves said, though it hasn't improved the timeline for a potential deal with South Korean steelmaker POSCO In October, Cleveland-Cliffs announced a memorandum of understanding with POSCO to explore a partnership focusing on US steel production."We continue to negotiate in good faith within the framework of our MOU toward a transaction that is accretive for our shareholders and fully reflects the value of our assets, our market position, and the strength of the US steel demand," Goncalves said.In 2026, Cleveland-Cliffs continues to expect steel shipment volumes of about 16.5 to 17 million net tons.The stock fell 4.7% in Monday trading. The shares have declined 29% this year.Price: $9.48, Change: $-0.47, Percent Change: -4.68%

$CLF
Australia

USA Rare Earth's Round Top Rare Earth Deposit Unlike Others in the West, Wedbush Says

USA Rare Earth's (USAR) Round Top in Texas is unlike any other rare earth deposit in the West, Wedbush analysts said in a Monday note to clients.Analysts said that Round Top carries about 72% heavy rare earth oxide distribution within its total rare earth oxide content, making it unique among deposits of this scale outside China.Wedbush said that the deposit positions the company to address the segment of the rare earth market under the most acute supply chain pressure following China's April 2025 export controls.Wedbush said that Round Top is the only deposit in the West with the geological profile to produce heavy rare earths at a commercial scale, and that the company's Less Common Metals unit is the only facility outside China with the capability to produce samarium cobalt and heavy rare earth metals commercially.Analysts initiated coverage on USA Rare Earth with an outperform rating and a $29 price target.Price: $22.65, Change: $+2.70, Percent Change: +13.53%

$USAR