Shoppers’ retreat from department stores and mall chains is prompting stock traders to stalk the retail sector with a fervor unseen in years. Sales and profits at major retailers have come under immense pressure this year, punishing the shares of Macy’s Inc., Nordstrom Inc. and Kohl’s Corp. The SPDR S&P 500 Retail exchange-traded fund has fallen 11% this year, through Wednesday, lagging far behind a 9.1% rise in the S&P 500. Macy’s is down 41% for 2017 and Target Corp. is down 30%. Wall Street is abuzz with talk...

Source: Wall Street Journal July 13, 2017 09:30 UTC