Today's Pickup: Big U.S. Freight Customers To Report Results This Week

This week will provide further evidence about what effect U.S. tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese goods is having on shipper behavior as some of the country's largest importers report earnings. The dollar value of goods from China hit a record $50 billion in September on the combination of holiday stocking and the "pull forward" effect of shippers trying to avoid the 10 percent tariffs slated to start at the end of the third quarter. Those goods will likely start showing up on the balance sheets of major retailers that are exposed to tariffs. On Thursday, Walmart Inc  WMT will report third-quarter earnings. The nation's largest retailer typically sees its inventories levels swell in the third-quarter just ahead of the holiday shopping season, with quarter-on-quarter growth of 15% in inventories seen this time last year. Best Buy Co Inc  BBY will also report Q3 results on Thursday. Its inventories jumped 29 percent quarter-on-quarter this time last year.