We recently published a list of The 10 best retail stocks to buy now. In this article, we take a look at where The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX) is performing compared to other retail stocks.

Technology is revolutionizing retail

The rise of technology and artificial intelligence (AI) in recent years has impacted not only the technology sector but the entire market. Retail has not been spared from this impact either. Analysts now consider technology-enabled innovations to be one of the main drivers of the retail sector’s growth. As a result, those retailers who take technology upgrading seriously and make investments to integrate new technologies into their operations are finally attracting the market’s attention.

On June 24, Simeon Gutman, analyst at Morgan Stanley, CNBC’s “The Exchange” to discuss the impact of technology and AI on retail and how these companies are using technology to increase their profit margins. Here are some of his comments on the retail companies to watch in this regard:

According to Gutman, wholesalers are the industry winners when it comes to integrating innovative technologies into their internal operations. With these innovations in retail and the resulting higher profit margins for retailers, it’s safe to assume that retail is making a rapid comeback in the market.

Outlook for the retail sector 2024

According to the WTW Global Retail Survey for 2024, 52% of retailers this year generally expect increased profitability within two years. In addition, more retailers today (48%) are looking to integrate artificial intelligence into their operations to provide their customers with a personalized shopping experience. However, the rise of technology and AI in the industry has also led some retailers (43%) to express concerns about higher cybersecurity risks posed by a greater reliance on new technologies.

Despite the risks involved, most retailers today are embracing AI integration to meet customer demands. According to the survey, AI is particularly favored by pure-play online and e-retailers due to its potential to drive growth. By helping retailers automate their processes and supply chain operations, AI and new technologies can enable retailers to provide personalized experiences and recommendations to their customers. This is an exceptionally important feature in today’s market as consumers become increasingly reliant on new technologies and their benefits in their everyday lives.

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Our methodology

We combed through ETFs and online rankings to compile a list of 25 retail stocks. We also used the Finviz stock screener to check that we didn’t miss any popular stocks. For this list, we considered clothing retailers, discount retailers, department stores and home improvement stores. From our initial pool of 25 stocks, we selected and ranked 10 stocks that were most popular with institutional investors. The stocks are sorted in ascending order of the number of hedge funds that hold shares in them.

Why do we care about the stocks hedge funds invest in? The reason is simple: Our research has shown that we can outperform the market by mimicking the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks each quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points. (Further details can be found here).

A busy store space with customers trying on clothes and looking at products.

The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX)

Number of hedge fund owners: 63

The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX) operates discount apparel and home fashion stores in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. The company offers family apparel, home fashion and other merchandise.

The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX)’s major brands include TJ Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, HomeSense, Winners and Sierra. Across its brands and stores, the company increased revenue 5.9% in the first quarter, generating revenue of $12.4 billion for the quarter.

The average analyst price target for The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX) is $114.5 as of June 28. BMO Capital has also maintained an “outperform” rating on the stock since June 6.

A total of 63 hedge funds held shares of The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX) in the first quarter with a total value of $1.7 billion.

Total TJX 4th place on our list of the best retail stocks to buy. You can visit The 10 best retail stocks to buy now to see the other retail stocks that are on hedge funds’ radar. While we recognize TJX’s potential as an investment, we believe AI stocks promise higher returns and do so in a shorter time frame. If you’re looking for an AI stock that’s more promising than TJX but worth less than five times its earnings, read our report on the cheapest AI stock.

READ MORE: Analyst sees a new $25 billion “opportunity” for NVIDIA And Jim Cramer recommends these 10 stocks in June.

Disclosure: None. This article was originally published on Insider Monkey.