A slew of earnings reports from some of America's biggest retailers this week showed the industry, like consumers visiting their stores, splitting into a series of winners and losers.
Retailers that are leaning into value and low prices reported strong results and were rewarded by investors as a K-shaped economy pushes consumer sentiment to near-record lows. Investors more harshly judged companies that reported flagging sales in their latest quarter.
"Higher-income households will keep spending, but middle- and lower-income shoppers are feeling the squeeze, pushing them toward discounters li