Beware Of The Retail ‘Value Trap’

As the quarterly earnings season winds down and several big-box retailers are set to report this week, one portfolio manager is cautioning some investors who may look to beaten-down brick-and-mortar retail stocks as a value play. Particularly for some clothing and accessories names, this year has been a struggle, said Erin Gibbs, portfolio manager at S&P Global. She is expecting a mere 8 percent earnings growth for the group next year, which strikes her as concerning especially when the e-commerce space is booming. “They’re facing some tougher [year-over-year comparisons] and next year might also be another tough year for retailers. This is one of those areas where you could get into a value trap; some of these retailers really are trading at discounts, but that’s because we’re expecting lower earnings,” Gibbs said Wednesday on CNBC’s “Trading Nation.” “You really need to be selective, with strong management, and ideally some more hope for growth expectations and revenue expectations going forward.” Read more at CNBC.