Investors are shopping for retail stocks.

The XRT, an ETF that tracks the sector, is up nearly 10 percent this year, and is tracking for its best quarter since 2014. Despite the move higher, two experts said there are still bargain buys within the space.

“One name that really sticks out in retail land is Columbia Sportswear,” Ari Wald, head of technical analysis at Oppenheimer, said Thursday on CNBC’s “Trading Nation.” Last month the company reported fourth-quarter earnings that handily beat analyst expectations, leading to a nearly 16 percent surge in the stock the following day. The move higher eclipsed the $96 mark — which had previously been a key level of resistance, according to Wald — and the stock has been trading in the $100-$105 region ever since.

Wald notes that technicians call this a bullish flag pattern (so named since the vertical jump higher followed by a continuation of trading in that range can resemble a flag poll), and he believes the stock’s slight pullback this week is a buying opportunity.

“[W]e think this little near-term pullback should be bought in anticipation for a resumption of that breakout and a longer-term uptrend that’s still in play,” he said. Shares of the sportswear maker are up roughly 25 percent this year.

While Wald likes Columbia Sportswear, he cautions on buying the sector as a whole. Retail has been “range-bound in recent months,” he said, also pointing out that “over the last five years it’s been in the same price range.” So as a result, Wald believes “there are more attractive opportunities for funds at the industry level.”

On the flip side, John Petrides, managing director and portfolio manager at Point View Wealth Management, is more optimistic on the future of retail since he believes companies recognize threats to the industry — especially the rise of e-commerce — and are changing accordingly.

“[B]y and large many of the retailers have adjusted. They’re building out their online presence, they’re cutting their square-footage growth, they’re slowing their store space store openings, so they’re living in the new world that they’re in, and they’re now able to thrive, or at least grow at a new normal,” he said.

Petrides also thinks that the economic backdrop of low unemployment coupled with wage growth will continue to spur gains for the sector.

He specifically likes Hanesbrands. The stock has been on a tear this year, soaring 41 percent, but the move higher follows a dismal 2018 that saw the name drop 40 percent. It’s still more than 20 percent away from its June 52-week high, and Petrides contends that strong fundamentals will propel it higher.

“[H]ere’s a stock that dominates the industry that it’s in. … trading at less than 10 times earnings, less than one times price to sales. Currently offers a 3.5 percent dividend yield and based on [the] company’s projections and current prices should have about a 10 percent free cash flow yield, so we think that’s an attractive stock to own in this environment,” Petrides said.

Disclosure: Point View Wealth Management and John Petrides or someone in his household own shares of Hanesbrands.

As consumers grow more environmentally conscious and ditch single-use plastics, companies have responded by working to incorporate more recycled materials into their plastic packaging.

Those consumer companies, however, face a “fundamental issue” — a lack of plastic recycling policies in their countries, according to Credit Suisse’s head of environmental, social and governance research for Australia.

“The (fast moving consumer goods companies’) response is really focusing on recycled content — they’ve set targets globally, to achieve at least 30 percent recycled content in all their plastic packaging,” Phineas Glover told CNBC at the Credit Suisse Asian Investment Conference in Hong Kong on Thursday.

Referring to overall plastic waste, he said: “Some of it we just can’t recycle at the moment … Many nations just haven’t developed their own plastic recycling policies.”

Adding to that problem is the ban that China put on waste imports globally.

Apparel maker PVH on Wednesday forecast full-year adjusted profit and sales above Wall Street expectations, banking on higher demand for its Tommy Hilfiger branded apparels and accessories.

Shares of the Calvin Klein owner, which also reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter sales and profit, rose 10 percent after the bell.

The New York-based company has been giving lesser discounts to maintain its premium brand cachet while roping in social media influencers such as Kendall Jenner, Shawn Mendes, and Zendaya to boost Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein brands among millennial and Gen-Z shoppers.

PVH forecast full-year adjusted profit between $10.30 and $10.40 per share, the mid-point of which is above analysts’ estimate of $10.31.

The company also forecast full-year sales growth of 4 percent that translates to about $10.04 billion, above Wall Street estimate of $9.88 billion.

Sales at Tommy Hilfiger, the biggest contributor to PVH’s sales, rose 2.3 percent to $1.2 billion during the reported quarter. The company expects the brand’s sales to grow about 6 percent in full-year 2019.

“The quarter has been stellar. Tommy Hilfiger far outperformed our expectations,” said C.L King and Associates analyst Steven Marotta.

However, sales in Calvin Klein, its second biggest unit, fell 2 percent during the fourth quarter, dragged down by continued softness in the Calvin Klein Jeans business in North America.

The company had announced plans to restructure its Calvin Klein business and relaunch its upscale fashion business under the Calvin Klein label in January after shoppers balked at higher prices and “fashion forward” products that resulted in underperformance of the brand last quarter.

PVH said it expects Calvin Klein revenue to grow about 2 percent this year.

Net income attributable to the company rose to $158.7 million, or $2.09 per share, in the fourth quarter ended February 3, from $108.5 million, or $1.39 per share, a year earlier.

Net revenue fell 0.6 percent to $2.48 billion as the year-ago quarter included an extra week.

Excluding items, PVH earned $1.84 per share.

Analysts on average had expected a profit of $1.76 on sales of $2.41 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

Bed, Bath & Beyond laid off nearly 150 of its 65,000 employees this week, as more shoppers shift their spending online, a person familiar with the situation told CNBC.

The retailer, which has had seven consecutive quarters of declining same-store sales, has slowed down the pace of newer store openings and said it is evaluating existing leases. Meantime, it is investing in its online capabilities to help fend off stronger e-commerce rivals like Amazon.

As part of this week’s reductions, a little less than 50 employees at its namesake Bed, Bath & Beyond stores were laid off, the person said. Those employees were largely in the field support team that helps staff its stores. Other employees were reassigned to new positions as the company streamlines the roles and responsibilities of its store managers and support team.

A round of layoffs also hit the company’s Christmas Tree Shops. Bed, Bath acquired the discount home goods and decor chain in 2003. Fewer than a 100 of its department and store managers were let go, the person said.

The layoffs come days after a trio of investors, Legion Partners Asset Management, Macellum Advisors and Ancora Advisors on Tuesday confirmed their stake in the retailer and demanded a full turnover in the company’s board. The investors lambasted Bed, Bath for being slow to pivot to online shopping and allowing its costs to drift higher in recent years.

This week’s layoffs at Bed, Bath were planned prior to the investors’ letter and are part of its ongoing turnaround, the person said.

In a memo to employees on Tuesday, which was obtained by CNBC, Bed, Bath CEO Steven Temares highlighted the company’s planned and completed initiatives to usher in a turnaround. They include re-platforming the websites, focusing on data-driven personalized marketing, improved merchandise and a new, more efficient operating structure in its buying group.

The person requested anonymity because the information is confidential. A spokesperson for Bed, Bath declined to comment.

Lululemon is set to report fourth-quarter earnings after the bell on Wednesday.

Here’s what Wall Street is expecting, based on a survey of analysts by Refinitiv:

• Earnings per share: $1.74 per share
• Revenue: $1.151 billion
• Same-store sales: an increase of 16 percent

This is an important quarter for the maker of yoga pants and athletic wear, often called athleisure, as it includes the December holidays. In January, the company raised its forecast after ringing up strong holiday sales. Lululemon said it experienced its biggest day ever for e-commerce on Black Friday.

At that time, Lululemon said it would earn between $1.72 and $1.74 per share, excluding a tax expense, up from its previous estimate of $1.64 to $1.67 per share.

Net revenue is expected to reach a range of $1.14 billion to $1.15 billion, with same-store sales increasing in the mid-to-high teens. That outlook is up from its prior fourth-quarter forecast of $1.12 billion to $1.13 billion in revenue.

Analysts are predicting the company will be at the high end of those forecasts.

Investors also will be looking closely at its 2019 guidance. The company hopes to reach $1 billion in sales by 2020. Last quarter, the retailer beat on the top and bottom lines but issued a weak forecast, sparking a selloff.

The Vancouver-based company’s shares are up more than 80 percent over the past 12 months and more than 20 percent year to date, more than double the S&P 500 Retail ETF’s (XRT‘s) growth of about 8.5 percent.

Despite the popularization of casual workplace attire, some analysts are worried about Lululemon’s ability to keep up with the strong earnings growth it has shown. Last week, Wedbush downgraded the stock to neutral from outperform citing the potential for slower margin expansion ahead.

“We see measured guidance as likely, as a turbulent February likely hits LULU just as hard as the rest of retail,” Wedbush said in an analyst note.

Wedbush said they still see Lululemon as best in class among specialty retailers, like competitors Under Armor and Nike.

Lululemon’s expansion into men’s apparel helped revenue growth in the third-quarter, seeing the highest category increases overall.

Earlier this month, Lululemon announced that former Philadelphia Eagles Superbowl quarterback Nick Foles signed on as the brand’s first men’s ambassador.

Lululemon’s stock is up nearly 2 percent on Wednesday.

For the first time in its history, Red Bull is coming to a nationwide restaurant chain.

Next month, Sonic will start selling Red Bull Slushes at its more than 3,600 locations nationwide. Customers less keen on the taste of the energy drink can opt for a Cherry Limeade Red Bull Slush for the same caffeine boost.

Sonic’s Chief Market Officer Lori Abou Habib said that the company had been working on adding an energy drink option to its menu for several years, but realized that it needed a strong brand name to get consumers interested. As part of its partnership with Red Bull, the Inspire Brands subsidiary will also sell cans of the energy drink at its locations.

While soda consumption has been declining in the U.S. as consumers opt for less sugary options, energy drinks have largely managed to buck the trend. Privately owned Red Bull is the market leader both globally and in the U.S., while Monster, which has a market value of $29.7 billion, nips at its toes, according to Euromonitor data.

Sonic’s competitors Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s previously teamed up with Monster, while regional chain Steak ‘n Shake sells Red Bull in its locations.

The amount of the energy drink in each Slush is proportional to the size that a customer orders. Ordering the smallest size means two ounces of Red Bull, while ordering a Route 44 — a 44-ounce Slush — means the entire can gets poured in. And because Red Bull is only available in a can, not on tap or in a soda fountain, Sonic employees will actually be cracking open cans to make the new product.

The Red Bull Slush will launch nationwide April 29. Sonic’s Happy Hour deal will not apply.

The latest partnerships are hardly the gaming retailer’s first foray into esports. In 2006, GameStop signed a multiyear deal with esports league Major League Gaming and partnered with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment more recently in 2017 for a fighting game tournament featuring the latter’s “Injustice 2” title.

This time, GameStop’s esports push coincides with the company’s attempts to reinvent itself in light of the changing gaming retail landscape. Before GameStop concluded efforts to sell the company in January, the retailer had already been forced to close stores after being hit hard by digital sales.

The company last week named retail veteran George Sherman chief executive, the fifth CEO in just over a year. And despite focusing more on gaming accessories and boosting its rewards program, over half of the analysts on the Street who cover the company’s stock rate it as a hold.

Nevertheless, Hamlin stresses that GameStop still has a footprint that allows it to grow the esports community and forge ahead with partnerships.

“Domestically, we have 3,800 retail stores for gamers that are within a skateboard ride of 85 percent of the U.S. population,” he said. “We believe that by hosting esports gaming clinics and tournaments across our retail stores will give us an advantage with the amateur community. That’s our role for our partners and our specialty retail advantage in the video game ecosystem.”

Complexity Gaming founder and CEO Jason Lake also commented on GameStop’s significance for the gaming community, emphasizing that the kind of exposure that GameStop can offer “can’t be given by other corporate partners.”

“I think GameStop is synonymous with gaming in North America, … and they’re looking to modernize what they’re doing across the industry,” he said. “From our perspective, they’re a better corporate partner as they’re a partner that’s been synonymous with gaming for so long.”

GameStop will also be partnering with the Collegiate Star League to promote and establish college-level esports tournaments and events.

Shares of GameStop are down 20 percent year to date after the stock plummeted in late January when the company ended efforts to sell itself. The company is set to report earnings on Tuesday.

Last year, Lazada teamed up with small businesses financing platform, Finaxar, to offer credit lines to small and medium business on its platform. Poignant said the next step could be more financing products to make loans more efficient.

“Through our data, we will be able more precisely assess the loans. So I think, in a way, the future is to be more efficient, faster and bigger, that’s one part,” Poignant said. “Second part (is), we will venture in other parts of financing. For example, something which is very, I think, promising, is trade financing across countries which we will also look into.”

Trade financing takes place between exporters, who seek payments for their goods, and importers, who have to pay for the products they order. In conventional trading, a bank provides a letter of credit to the exporter on behalf of the importer, and the money is paid upon delivery of the goods.

It’s an expensive process, particularly for smaller businesses — but it could be a multi-billion dollar opportunity for Lazada.

JCPenney on Tuesday named Bill Wafford as the company’s new executive vice president and chief financial officer, starting April 8.

The announcement came as The Vitamin Shoppe announced Wafford’s resignation, effective April 5. Wafford also previously worked for KPMG and Walgreens Boots Alliance.

Prior to Walgreens, Wafford held finance roles are Bank of America and Target.

“Bill brings extraordinary depth and breadth of experience to our executive team. His first-hand knowledge and understanding of financial turnarounds will help JCPenney deliver improved results and drive profitable growth,” said Jill Soltau, CEO of JCPenney.

Wafford is succeeding Michael Fung, who will remain at the company as interim CFO through the end of April.

Louis Lanzano | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Michael Avenatti, attorney and founding partner of Eagan Avenatti LP, speaks to members of the media outside the federal court in New York, U.S., on Monday, March 25, 2019.

Celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti denied on Tuesday that he had tried to shake down Nike, and he accused the sports apparel giant of committing a “crime and coverup.”

Avenatti tweeted his denial a day after he was arrested on federal charges, including trying to extort up to $25 million from the sports apparel company by threatening to reveal evidence he claimed he had of misconduct by company employees in the recruitment of college basketball players.

“I want to thank all of my supporters for your kind words and support today. It means a lot to me. I am anxious for people to see what really happened. We never attempted to extort Nike & when the evidence is disclosed, the public will learn the truth about Nike’s crime & coverup,” he tweeted.

TWEET

Nike did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on Avenatti’s latest statement.

On Monday, the company said it “will not be extorted or hide information that is relevant to a government investigation” and that it “firmly believes in ethical and fair play, both in business and sports, and will continue to assist the prosecutors.”

Avenatti was arrested in New York just 15 minutes after he tweeted that he would be revealing a high school and college basketball scandal “perpetrated by” Nike.

He was also separately charged in a federal case in Los Angeles with bank and wire fraud, including embezzling a client’s money “in order to pay his own expenses and debts.” He faces nearly 100 years in prison and potential disbarment as a lawyer if convicted in both cases.

Avenatti gained fame in the last year for representing porn star Stormy Daniels in lawsuits against President Donald Trump and his former lawyer Michael Cohen. At one point last year, he announced that he was considering running for president.

Avenatti was released from Manhattan federal court after signing a $300,000 personal recognizance bond on Monday. In a news conference after his release, Avenatti said he was “highly confident” that when all the evidence was revealed, he would be “fully exonerated, and justice will be done.”