Weak holiday sales by some US department stores have reignited fears that the sector may never recover its growth levels of the past, but some investors are holding out hope for a longer-term recovery. Disappointing sales at Macy's Inc and Kohl's Corp, coupled with store closures and layoffs, triggered a selloff in retail stocks this week. Despite the share massacre that prompted a series of price target cuts and stock downgrades, most analysts stayed away from an outright "sell" rating on department store stocks.