VanEck Retail ETF (RTH)

Investors eye XRT and RTH as Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe's and Target prepare to report earnings this week.

Last week, the S&P 500 experienced a rally that took it to three consecutive record highs. But the momentum cooled as economic data painted a complex picture.

The Census Bureau's Advance Retail Sales Report for July showed consumer spending was slightly lower than expected, with headline sales rising 0.5%. This marks the second consecutive monthly increase and was just below the expected 0.6% rise.

Looking for broad exposure to the Consumer Discretionary - Retail segment of the equity market? You should consider the VanEck Retail ETF (RTH), a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on December 20, 2011.

Consumer sentiment hits a five-month high in July. XLY, VCR, PEZ and RTH ETFs stand to benefit from the upbeat outlook.

Last week's economic data presented a picture of consumer resilience emerging alongside the continued challenge of rising inflation. While consumer spending staged a significant rebound in June, inflation heated up for a second straight month.

RTH is a buy for exposure to retail sector leaders like Amazon and Walmart, capitalizing on e-commerce, omnichannel, and AI-driven trends. The fund's concentrated portfolio offers stability and strong performance, outperforming peers in recent years while maintaining a defensive stance. RTH benefits from projected retail market growth, with key holdings positioned to capture both essential and discretionary retail trends.

The Census Bureau's Advance Retail Sales Report for June showed consumer spending was higher than expected last month, with headline sales rising 0.6%. This marks the first monthly increase since March and was better than the expected 0.1% rise.

Lower gas prices and record travel could lift ETFs like JETS, BEDZ and EATZ during the July 4 holiday rush.

Last week's economic data painted a picture of broad cooling across several sectors, with consumers pulling back significantly on spending. Retail sales saw their largest decline in over two years in May, as consumers scaled back purchases following earlier front-loading.

Retail sales dropped 0.9% in May, but select sectors like online, apparel, and furniture retail defied the downturn with gains. ETFs like ONLN, RTH, XRT and IEDI should benefit.

The Census Bureau's Advance Retail Sales Report for May showed consumer spending pulled back significantly last month, with headline sales sinking 0.9%. This marks the second straight monthly decline and the largest in over two years.

If you're interested in broad exposure to the Consumer Discretionary - Retail segment of the equity market, look no further than the VanEck Retail ETF (RTH), a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 12/20/2011.

Given the headwinds Target has faced this year, many advisors were not expecting to hear good news at the retailer's latest earnings call.  Hesitation over the retail giant's quarterly performance seems to have been well-founded.

Last week's economic data presented a mixed bag, arriving against a backdrop of an S&P 500 that trended upwards for the entire week, buoyed by positive developments in trade talks.

The Census Bureau's Advance Retail Sales Report for April showed consumer spending inched up last month, with head sales rising 0.1%. This comes on the heels of March's 1.7% surge in spending and was higher than the 0.0% forecast.