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Key Takeaways
- JPMorgan analysts calculated which retailers have the highest percentage of stores within the Los Angeles wildfire evacuation zone.
- Target was second in terms of both number of stores in the area and the percentage of its total stores.
- Natural disasters create headwinds to sales but home improvement stores can benefit as an area rebuilds, analysts said.
Target (TGT) is among the retailers with the most exposure to the deadly wildfires that have raged this week in the Los Angeles area, JPMorgan analysts said Friday.
Sixty-six Target locations, or 3.3% of its total stores, are within the impacted region, which includes parts of the Los Angeles, Pasadena, Glendale and other areas, according to JPMorgan. Luxury furniture retailer RH (RH), has four stores in the region, or 5% of its total; AutoZone (AZ0) has 85 locations in the area, or 1.3% of its total.
Generally, JPMorgan said, “natural disasters result in an immediate headwind to sales,” adding that home improvement retailers often eventually experience tailwinds as an area rebuilds. Home Depot (HD) has 25 stores in the area, 1.2% of its total, and Lowe’s (LOW) has 9 locations, or 0.9%.
Other retailers with a significant store presence in the wildfire area include Costco (COST) (14 stores, 2.3%), Williams-Sonoma (WSM) (12 stores, 2.3%), Best Buy (BBY) (20 stores, 2.1%), and O’Reilly Automotive (ORLY) (53 stores, 0.9%), JPMorgan said.
The wildfires have killed at least 10 people, according to the Los Angeles County authorities, and caused as much as $150 billion in damages, per AccuWeather.
