Skip to main content
This section contains press releases and other materials from third parties (including paid content). The Globe and Mail has not reviewed this content. Please see disclaimer.

Warby Parker, Torrid, and Monro Stocks Trade Up, What You Need To Know

StockStory - Fri Apr 17, 1:50PM CDT
WRBY

WRBY Cover Image

What Happened?

A number of stocks jumped in the afternoon session after the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz reduced the threat of a global energy crisis. 

For the retail sector, lower oil prices significantly decrease the cost of transporting goods from warehouses to storefronts, directly boosting net margins. Investors are also betting that the extra cash in consumers' pockets will lead to increased spending on non-essential goods, such as apparel and home electronics. 

Additionally, the de-escalation of conflict stabilizes global supply chains, easing the "uncertainty discount" that has weighed on inventory management. As shipping routes through the Middle East normalize, retailers can expect more predictable lead times for international imports. This geopolitical breather allows the sector to pivot from defensive cost-cutting back to growth-oriented promotions and expansion strategies.

The stock market overreacts to news, and big price drops can present good opportunities to buy high-quality stocks.

Among others, the following stocks were impacted:

Zooming In On Warby Parker (WRBY)

Warby Parker’s shares are extremely volatile and have had 41 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful but not something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.

The biggest move we wrote about over the last year was 11 months ago when the stock gained 17.5% on the news that Google announced a Smart Glasses partnership with the company (Warby Parker), mirroring the concept behind the Ray-Ban Meta collaboration. 

Google plans to invest up to $150 million in the project, which will be powered by Android XR, a custom operating system designed for extended reality (XR) devices. The market for XR wearables is expanding fast, as Meta and EssilorLuxottica have sold more than 2 million Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses since their 2023 debut. This early traction highlights increasing consumer interest and validates the commercial viability of the technology. 

By collaborating with Google, Warby Parker would be stepping into a new market with strong growth potential that could significantly boost future sales.

Warby Parker is up 9.5% since the beginning of the year, but at $24.76 per share, it is still trading 18.1% below its 52-week high of $30.23 from December 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Warby Parker’s shares at the IPO in September 2021 would now be looking at an investment worth $454.40.

ONE MORE THING: 3 Hidden Platforms Growing 3X Faster than Amazon, Google, and PayPal. Amazon, Google, and Meta all followed the same playbook: Dominate an ignored market. Build an unbeatable moat. Scale until you’re unstoppable.

These three platforms are running that exact playbook right now. The early investors in Amazon made fortunes. The early investors in these could do the same. Get All 3 Stocks Here for FREE.

This article contains syndicated content. We have not reviewed, approved, or endorsed the content, and may receive compensation for placement of the content on this site. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.