Consumer stocks were mixed Friday afternoon, with the State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) up 2.1% and the State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) falling 1%.
In corporate news, Tesla's (TSLA) competitive edge of deep vertical integration across hardware and software, coupled with its speed of technology development, leaves the firm uniquely positioned to scale emerging AI-driven markets, JPMorgan Securities said in a note. Tesla shares fell 5%.
Brown-Forman (BF.A, BF.B) delivered better-than-expected Q4 revenue, but continues to face weak demand in key developed markets and mounting cost pressures that could weigh on growth and margins in fiscal 2027, RBC said. Brown-Forman Class A shares rose 0.7%, and Class B shares advanced 1.6%.
Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) said Friday it is opening a store in the SoHo district of New York. Abercrombie shares were down 2.1%.