Three Retail Stocks to Buy for the Holiday Season

The talking heads are worried about supply problems heading into the big Black Friday, and sure, there might be some hiccups here and there.

But with the economy in good shape overall and CEOs working around the clock to smooth over what supply chain issues there are, I'm expecting an off-the-charts holiday retail haul in 2021.

I told my Money Morning LIVE viewers the exact same thing earlier.

A decent earnings season is already on the books, so let's look forward to the biggest retail stocks "in play" now and over the next few weeks...

These Are the Retailers on My Radar Right Now

Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) got smoked on earnings last week... and days later, it's still being smoked - down 7.8% over five sessions.

Not to get emotional or anything, but I don't think TGT shares deserve the beating they're getting.

Look - the retailer had great earnings and great margins. It simply said that it plans to spend more money to make sure it has enough inventory for Christmas. That's a good thing, by any stretch, and yet, shares have been sliding ever since.

Go figure. But my rule is that when a stock gets bashed so badly over something so small, where the market has completely misread the situation, it's an opportunity to buy.

Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ: ULTA) had a rough season last year - there weren't any holiday parties, neither company nor family.

That means this year will be bigger than ever for makeup companies like Ulta. And last week, the stock broke $400 a share for the first time since mid-October.

From here, it's only going higher - especially as we head into the "official" holiday season. Buy this one, even a fractional position if you have to.

And if you needed another reason why you should buy both companies - back in August, Ulta Beauty launched in more than 100 Target stores and on Target.com with plans to reach a total of 800 stores in coming years. This "shop-in-shop" experience is definitely going to be popular among Target customers who will enjoy the convenience and will bring in plenty of profits for both companies. It's certainly a win-win-win in my book... a win for Target, a win for Ulta - and a win for you if you buy them both now.

Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY) blew the doors off with its last earnings report, beating EPS and revenue expectations. The electronics retailer is scheduled to report again on Tuesday, and I wouldn't be surprised to see another shot higher for BBY shares.

The retail sector, led by stocks just like this, is set to finish 2021 with a bang, and I think every investor is going to want to be along for the ride.

More than that, I think a lot of stocks will go ballistic for the last month of the year. I'm predicting the S&P 500 is going to break above 5,000 by New Year's Eve - Dec. 31, 2021.

But will it last? That's less clear. There are big changes coming - regulator changes, pandemic fallout, and big shifts in technology. Like I said, lots of changes.

In a "Buy This, Not That" update, Shah Gilani's going to be looking at which companies are positioned to double or triple in the years ahead... and which popular stocks could tank. You can get details on that here...

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