Earnings playbook: Retail takes center stage with Walmart and Target set to report

We’re at the tail-end of the earnings season, but there are some major retailers still left to report this week.

Apple just gave a clue that a big AI acquisition may be in the cards May 2, 2026
With Apple officially retiring its net-cash-neutral target, some suspect the company will look to conduct more transformative M&A, beyond the smaller deals it made in the past.
Christine Ji
GameStop is hungry for relevance. Is buying eBay the answer? May 2, 2026
GameStop is reportedly interesting in buying eBay, which has done a better job of adapting to changing consumer preferences.
Bill Peters
‘I’m very late to the game’: I’m 48, earn $65,000, have $48,000 in debt and no retirement. Am I doomed? May 1, 2026
“I do not have any inheritance from anyone coming my way as I lost most of my immediate family when young.”
Quentin Fottrell
‘The numbers don’t lie’: If I had invested my Social Security in the S&P 500 I’d have $4 million. Is the system broken? May 1, 2026
“I do better than many citizens because I’ve contributed at the highest level.”
Quentin Fottrell
Thinking of raiding your 401(k) for a hardship withdrawal? Ask these questions first. May 1, 2026
Money coaches tell you how to move past the stigma and decide if tapping your retirement fund is rational or reactive.
Morey Stettner
Social Security screwed up — and it cost widows and widowers over $50 million May 1, 2026
Thousands have been short-changed of their Social Security payments as a result of blunders by the Social Security Administration
Brett Arends
Trump talks up his push to lower costs, as analysts see bruising midterms for GOP due to economic worries May 1, 2026
President Donald Trump on Friday delivered a wide-ranging speech that focused in part on his efforts to lower taxes and other costs, as analysts predict defeats for his party in November’s midterm elections due to voters’ affordability concerns.
Victor Reklaitis
It now costs $160 to fill up America’s top-selling vehicle as the Iran war nears its 10th week May 1, 2026
Regular unleaded gas is up almost 50% since the start of the Iran war, to $4.42 a gallon late Friday morning, according to GasBuddy.
Myra P. Saefong
‘Why do Americans think we can do socialism?’ asks hedge-fund manager Ken Griffin May 1, 2026
The hedge-fund manager’s recent comments came after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, singled out Griffin’s ownership of a $238 million penthouse.
Charles Passy
Pickleball gets its largest-ever investment: $225 million. ‘It’s still a growth sport — it’s not just a fad.’ May 1, 2026
As valuations in major sports leagues like the NFL have surged, institutional investors have turned to smaller, fast-growing sports.
Weston Blasi