Scan for retail trends in shopping spree

As shoppers flock to the stores, investors will closely watch for retail trends they can make money on. Winning retailing plays could be a bit different this year.

The election of Donald Trump has influenced even the retail sector. Among the best performing retail stocks in the broad Standard & Poor’s 1500 index wasn’t one of the usual suspects but rather The Andersons (ANDE), an Ohio-based diversified retailer involved in agriculture businesses as well as general merchandise selling. Shares of the stock jumped nearly 4% on Black Friday as the company was exposed to more of an industrial play, which has become more fashionable with investors. Shares of the retailer are up 27% this year.

Amazon.com (AMZN), which has seemingly taken a share from traditional retailers every year, didn’t get any stock pop on Black Friday. Shares of the online retailer are up 15.4% but have lagged the market since the election. Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are sharpening their online game. Walmart acquired Jet, an online retailer, to beef up its online commerce skills. Shares of Walmart are up 16% this year, meaning it’s at least keeping up with Amazon and has performed better than Amazon since the election.

Specialty retailers are also enjoying stock strength this year. Big 5 Sporting Goods (BGFV) is the best performing retailer in the S&P 1500 this year, rising 97%. The company, which sells hunting equipment, could benefit from Trump’s stance on gun control.