RTH and VDC: Two ETFs That May Perform Strongly Following Walmart's Q3 Earnings Report
Walmart Q3 Earnings Expectations: Walmart is expected to report Q3 earnings of $0.61 per share, a 5.2% increase year-over-year, with revenues projected at $177.14 billion, up 4.5% from the previous year.
ETFs Offering Walmart Exposure: Investors can consider ETFs like RTH and VDC for indirect exposure to Walmart, with RTH holding 9.48% of Walmart and VDC holding 14.26%, providing a diversified investment option in the retail sector.
RTH ETF Performance: The RTH ETF, focused on consumer discretionary stocks, has $253.85 million in assets and a year-to-date increase of 11%, with a Strong Buy consensus rating and a price target suggesting a 22.70% upside.
VDC ETF Overview: The VDC ETF, tracking large-cap consumer staples, has $7.19 billion in assets, a 0.58% year-to-date increase, and a Moderate Buy consensus rating, indicating a 17.03% upside potential.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Analyst Views on COST
About COST
About the author

- Earnings Expectations: Costco is set to announce its Q2 earnings on March 5, with consensus estimates predicting an EPS of $4.55 and revenue of $69.32 billion, reflecting an 8.8% year-over-year growth that underscores the company's ongoing growth potential.
- Analyst Adjustments: Over the past three months, analysts have raised EPS estimates 20 times and lowered them 6 times, while revenue forecasts saw 19 upward revisions and 4 downward revisions, indicating improving market sentiment and investor confidence ahead of the earnings report.
- Sales Growth: In fiscal Q1, Costco's total sales rose 8.2% to $66 billion, with comparable sales increasing 6.4%, and momentum has continued into the current quarter with a 7.1% rise in comparable sales in January, showcasing strong customer traffic and high membership renewal rates.
- Market Performance: Costco shares have surged nearly 17% year-to-date, and while Wall Street broadly rates the stock a Buy, Seeking Alpha’s Quant system maintains a Hold rating, reflecting a cautious stance on its valuation amidst strong operational performance.
- Market Recovery: The S&P 500 closed up 0.8% at 6,869.50 on Wednesday, ending a three-day losing streak, driven by a strong rebound in technology and semiconductor stocks, although it remains in negative territory for 2026.
- Job Data Beats Expectations: The ADP report revealed that U.S. private employers added 63,000 jobs in February, significantly exceeding the 48,000 consensus and marking a sharp rebound from January's downwardly revised 11,000, indicating a robust economic recovery.
- Investor Sentiment Improves: Investor jitters regarding U.S.-Iran tensions eased as oil prices stabilized and President Trump's comments on protecting shipping lanes provided reassurance, boosting overall market confidence.
- Future Outlook: Despite the encouraging rebound on Wednesday, S&P 500 futures were down 0.43% at 6,846.75 at last check, suggesting potential challenges for Thursday's open, especially with upcoming weekly jobless claims and the non-farm payroll report set to test market direction.
- Fear Index Update: The CNN Money Fear & Greed Index slightly increased to 37.3 on Wednesday, remaining in the 'Fear' zone, indicating a modest improvement in market sentiment while cautioning against potential risks ahead.
- Stock Market Performance: U.S. stocks rose broadly on Wednesday, with the Nasdaq Composite gaining over 1% to close at 22,807.48, primarily driven by optimism surrounding potential U.S.-Iran diplomatic talks, reflecting a rebound in investor sentiment.
- Earnings Impact: Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE:ANF) saw its shares fall approximately 4% after disappointing fourth-quarter earnings, while Latham Group Inc. (NASDAQ:SWIM) surged 12% due to better-than-expected results and FY26 sales guidance, highlighting a divergence in market reactions to corporate performance.
- Employment and Economic Data: U.S. private businesses added 63,000 jobs in February, the highest since July, exceeding market expectations of 50,000, signaling strong economic recovery, while the ISM services PMI rose from 53.8 to 56.1, further bolstering confidence in economic growth.
- Strong Earnings Report: Veeva Systems Inc. reported fourth-quarter results with revenue guidance between $3.585 billion and $3.600 billion, exceeding the market estimate of $3.56 billion, indicating robust performance in the market.
- Earnings Per Share Forecast: The company anticipates fiscal 2027 earnings per share of $8.85, significantly above the Street estimate of $8.58, reflecting a sustained enhancement in its profitability.
- Stock Price Surge: In after-hours trading, Veeva's shares jumped 11.3% to $209.80, indicating investor optimism regarding the company's future growth prospects.
- Market Attention: With U.S. stock futures trading lower, investors are keenly focused on Veeva's earnings report and outlook, which may influence overall market sentiment.

Challenges in Drug Coverage: Navigating drug coverage in the current retirement system is complex and requires significant effort and understanding from individuals.
Increasing Difficulty: The process of managing drug coverage is becoming increasingly challenging, highlighting the need for better resources and support for retirees.
- Berkshire Interview: CEO Greg Abel of Berkshire Hathaway will have an exclusive interview on 'Squawk Box' at 7 a.m. ET Thursday, which is expected to draw investor attention and potentially influence stock price movements.
- Stock Performance: Berkshire Hathaway A-shares are down about 10% from their peak, with A-shares gaining 1.3% on Wednesday, closing at $730,707.01, while B-shares rose over 1% to $487.48, indicating market volatility.
- Paramount Updates: Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison will appear in his first interview on 'Squawk on the Street' after winning the bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, with shares up 18.6% since Netflix abandoned its offer, yet still down 42% from the September high.
- Costco Stock Trends: Costco Wholesale shares have increased by 12% over the past three months and are just 5.6% away from the 52-week high reached last summer, highlighting its appeal as a long-term investment, particularly following Jim Cramer's endorsement on Mad Money.










