Amid the e-commerce battleground, Target TGT has forged a collaboration with Shopify SHOP in a strategic move to ramp up its online sales and challenge the empires of Walmart WMT and Amazon AMZN. This partnership, unveiled on Monday, aims to elevate Target’s e-commerce marketplace by enabling Shopify merchants to showcase their products on Target Plus, an exclusive third-party marketplace.
But should investors seize the moment and consider buying Shopify or Target stocks in light of this significant partnership?
Much-Needed Boost for Target
For Target, this collaboration with Shopify is a game-changer. While Shopify stands to benefit from expanding its horizons after its 2015 IPO, the partnership serves as a crucial lifeline for Target in narrowing Walmart’s substantial lead in e-commerce sales. In the past year, Walmart’s online sales hit $100 billion, dwarfing Target’s $19.4 billion.
Target seems dedicated to bridging this gap, with sales expected to show a modest decline to $106.88 billion by the end of fiscal 2025 before rebounding with a 4% increase to reach $110.84 billion in fiscal 2026. In contrast, Walmart’s revenue is projected to grow by 4% in its current fiscal year and another 3% in fiscal 2026, likely surpassing $700 billion.
Promising Growth Trajectory for Shopify
Shopify’s growth narrative remains captivating, with sales projections indicating a 20% surge to $8.51 billion in fiscal 2024 compared to $7.06 billion in the previous year. Looking ahead, fiscal 2025 is forecasted to witness another 19% uptick, reaching $10.13 billion.
Earnings Projections
Analysts at Zacks foresee a 4% rise in Target’s annual earnings for fiscal 2025, with a further 13% jump expected in fiscal 2026 to hit $10.51 per share. Nevertheless, these projections represent a 22% downturn from the impressive $13.56 per share earnings Target achieved in fiscal 2022.
Conversely, Shopify’s earnings per share are anticipated to skyrocket by 34% this year to $0.99, up from $0.74 in 2023. Looking ahead, a 24% increase in EPS to $1.23 in fiscal 2025 is projected, marking a remarkable 272% surge from the $0.33 per share earnings reported in fiscal 2021.
Performance Analysis
In terms of stock performance year-to-date, Shopify has experienced a 16% decline while Target’s shares have shown a modest 3% increase. Nonetheless, both stocks have lagged behind the S&P 500’s 14% rise, as well as Amazon’s 23% and Walmart’s 28% gains. Over the past five years, Shopify outshone the broader market, Amazon, and Walmart with a remarkable 125% surge, while Target’s stock growth of 72% trailed behind its industry counterparts.
Key Takeaway
Despite the relatively subdued performance of Shopify and Target’s stocks this year, both companies currently hold a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Long-term investors stand to reap the rewards of the collaboration between Shopify and Target, which promises to bolster the outlook for both entities.
