For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – March 19, 2024 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Brinker International EAT, Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc. FBIN, CAVA Group, Inc. CAVA, Carrols Restaurant Group TAST and Texas Roadhouse TXRH.

Here are highlights from Monday’s Analyst Blog:

5 Top Stocks to Gain on Signs of Household Spending Resilience

Decreasing pandemic savings, coupled with sticky inflation, should have impacted American shoppers' desire to open up their wallets. However, consumers remained resilient and went on a shopping spree at retail outlets in February. Strength in the labor market and the Federal Reserve’s dovish stance led to retail spending last month.

This calls for keeping a tab on retailers such as Brinker International, Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc., CAVA Group, Inc., Carrols Restaurant Group and Texas Roadhouse, which are poised to gain even more.

Retail Sales Bounce Back in February

Per the Commerce Department, sales at retail outlets in the United States increased 0.6% in February from January’s revised decline of 1.1%. Spending at U.S. retailers took a beating in January due to the severe winter weather that kept American shoppers confined at home. However, outlays at retail stores rose in seven of the past 10-month period through February.

U.S. retail sales were broad-based in February, with sales at gas stations increasing 0.9% month over month. Sales also rose a solid 2.2% at home improvement stores, while car sales jumped 1.8%. American shoppers purchased electronics and appliances with its sales increasing 1.5%. At the same time, sales at bars, restaurants and various eatery outlets increased by 0.4%.

So, what drove retail sales upward? Spending at retail outlets increased primarily because of the strength in the labor market. Employers added 275,000 jobs in February, beating expectations of an increase in nonfarm jobs of 200,000, added the Bureau of Labor Statistics.



The unemployment rate, by the way, increased to 3.9% last month, but it's less than the long-term average of 5.7%, a tell-tale sign that jobs are added to the economy at a steady pace. Most importantly, wages improved, with the average hourly earnings increasing 4.3% year over year (read more: February Jobs Report Shows a Mid-Year Rate Cut: 5 Winners).

But it’s not just in February; sales at retail outlets are expected to improve throughout this year as well. This is because the Fed intends to trim interest rates during the latter part of the year, which will give consumers the wherewithal to spend more. Additionally, retailers have introduced enticing online and offline deals, which should lure consumers to spend on nonobligatory items.

5 Big Winners

It’s judicious for astute investors to keep an eye on retailers that directly profit from this promising economic backdrop and an improvement in retail sales.

We have, thus, selected five stocks that carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), or #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 (Strong Buy) Rank stocks here.

Brinker International owns, operates, develops and franchises various restaurants under Chili’s Grill & Bar. EAT currently has a Zacks Rank #2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has increased 3.4% over the past 60 days. The company’s expected earnings growth for the current year is 30.4%.

Fortune Brands Innovations is involved in the home products industry. FBIN currently has a Zacks Rank #3. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has increased 1.4% over the past 60 days. The company’s expected earnings growth for the current year is 9.7%.

CAVA Group is a category-defining Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant brand. CAVA currently has a Zacks Rank #2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has increased 64.3% over the past 60 days. The company’s expected earnings growth for the current year is 9.5%.

GameStop is the world's largest video game retailer. GME currently has a Zacks Rank #3. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has increased 5% over the past 90 days. The company’s expected earnings growth for the current year is 107.8%.

Texas Roadhouse is a full-service, casual dining restaurant chain. TXRH currently has a Zacks Rank #2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has increased 6.9% over the past 60 days. The company’s expected earnings growth for the current year is 25.8%.

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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

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Brinker International, Inc. (EAT):Free Stock Analysis Report

Texas Roadhouse, Inc. (TXRH):Free Stock Analysis Report

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Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc. (FBIN):Free Stock Analysis Report

CAVA Group, Inc. (CAVA):Free Stock Analysis Report

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