These Retailers Could Come Out Looking Good After The Holiday Season

Sure, major retail names are expected to perform well this holiday season. But where else should investors look for ideas? Try off-price retail and activewear companies. That’s the suggestion of the analysts at Morgan Stanley, who on Thursday suggested those two categories as their “top holiday picks” while acknowledging that the “big six” — Amazon.com, Walmart, Kroger, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Costco — were likely to swallow much of the sector’s sales in the fourth quarter. Broadly, Morgan Stanley sees a strong consumer economy boosting retail sales this season. Morgan Stanley sees off-price retail same-store sales up 1.9% year-over-year this holiday season, better than specialty retail or department stores. That could mean good news for Burlington Stores, Ross Stores, and TJX. Morgan Stanley has Outperform ratings on all three off-price retailers. Its $99 price target on Ross, in line with current prices; it has a $119 price target on TJX, 8% higher than current levels, and a $176 target on Burlington that is about 3% above current prices. Read more at Barron’s.