4 ETF Sectors to Win Despite Moderate Retail Sales in December

Retail sales grew at a slower pace than Wall Street had expected in December. Retail sales rose 0.4% sequentially in December. Economists had expected a 0.6% rise in spending, according to Bloomberg data. Meanwhile, retail sales in November were revised up to 0.8% from a prior reading that showed a 0.7% increase in the month, according to Census Bureau data.

Retail sales grew 3.9% year over year in December. Barring auto and gas, December sales rose 0.3%, falling short of the consensus estimate for a 0.4% increase. "This was actually a strong report that boosts our fourth-quarter GDP growth estimate to 2.9%," Capital Economics chief North America economist Paul Ashworth wrote in a note to clients on Thursday, as quoted on Yahoo Finance.

Below we highlight a few areas, and their related exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and stocks that may benefit handsomely from the retail sales.

ETF Sectors in Focus

Clothing Stores

Sales gained 1.5% sequentially in December and 2.4% year over year.

SPDR S&P Retail ETF XRT – The fund gives exposure to U.S. retail stocks. Apparel retail takes about 20% of the fund. The fund charges 35 bps in fees.

Dillard's DDS – The company’s primary product categories comprise women’s and children’s apparel, shoes, accessories and lingerie, men’s clothing and accessories, cosmetics, home, and children’s clothing. The fund has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Miscellaneous Store Retailers

Sales gained 4.3% sequentially in December and 3.7% year over year.

VanEck Retail ETF RTH – The underlying MVIS US Listed Retail 25 Index tracks the overall performance of companies involved in retail distribution, wholesalers, online, direct mail and TV retailers, multi-line retailers, specialty retailers and food and other staples retailers. The fund charges 35 bps in fees.

Walmart WMT – Walmart Inc. has evolved from just being a traditional brick-and-mortar retailer into an omnichannel player. In this regard, acquisitions; partnerships; delivery programs like Walmart + and Express Delivery; and investment in online e-commerce platform Flipkart are noteworthy. The fund has a Zacks Rank #2.

Furniture & Home Furnishing Stores

Sales gained 2.3% sequentially in December and 8.4% year over year.

iShares U.S. Consumer Focused ETF IEDI – The iShares U.S. Consumer Focused ETF seeks to provide access to U.S. companies with discretionary spending exposure while targeting increased exposure to U.S. firms with a greater proportion of consumer spending and consumer goods and services production in the United States. The fund, which charges 18 bps in fees, has considerable exposure in the home furnishing area.

Home Depot HD – The Home Depot Inc. is the world’s largest home improvement specialty retailer with 2,335 retail stores across the globe as of the end of fiscal 2023. It offers a diverse range of branded and proprietary home improvement items, building materials, lawn and garden products, décor products and related services. The fund has a Zacks Rank #2.

Food & Beverage Stores

Sales gained 0.8% sequentially in December and 3.1% year over year.

Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF XLP – The underlying Consumer Staples Select Sector Index seeks to effectively represent the consumer staples sector of the S&P 500 Index. The fund charges 9 bps in fees.

KimberlyClark KMB – Kimberly-Clark Corporation is principally engaged in the manufacture and marketing of a wide range of consumer products around the world. The company sells its products to supermarkets; mass merchandisers; drugstores; warehouse clubs; variety and department stores; retail outlets; manufacturing, lodging, office building, food service, and health care establishments; and high-volume public facilities. The fund has a Zacks Rank #3.

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