Search results for Wal-Mart
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Posted
Oct 01 2009, 09:17 AM
by
Minyanville
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
 This article is written by Minyanville's Glenn Curtis
It’s pretty likely that some upper-crust retailers may see small pockets of strength in the months to come. But for the most part, frugal shoppers (like me -- I’m cheap) will be searching out low prices and clearance specials -- particularly during the holiday season -- and as such, will be more likely to schlep their way to the popular discount stores. Click here for my last take on Costco.
Washington-based wholesale club Costco (COST) has some things going for it as well as some things that aren’t too swift. Here they are (in no particular order):
1. I do agree that some consumers are looking to save money and costly trips to the store (read: gas) by buying items in bulk. However, I also believe that the vast majority of consumers are looking for storefronts that carry wide-ranging merchandise selections that are known for their super low prices.
You may be wondering: Isn’t that kind of what Costco does? The answer is sort of. It has many types of food, some clothing, some books, and other merchandise. But if you’re interested in a certain variety of ketchup or need to replace one light bulb (that is, you don’t need items sold by the truckload but still want them at rock-bottom prices), I’d wager you’ll hit a store like Wal-Mart (WMT), or perhaps a Target (TGT) first. While not as plentiful as the proverbial Starbucks (SBUX) on every corner, both Wal-Mart and Target are convenient for most cost-conscious Americans. See also my recent take on Starbucks, Starbucks Chatter Is Appetizing
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Posted
Sep 30 2009, 11:17 AM
by
InvestorPlace
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
 This article was written by InvestorPlace's Jim Woods.
Filmmaker Michael Moore is at it again. The latest documentary from the corpulent director is titled, "Capitalism: A Love Story," and releases nationwide on Friday (see a movie clip and an interview in the video player below). Based on his past hard-left screeds on the evils of the free-enterprise system ("Roger & Me" and "Sicko"), I think it's safe to assume that the main message of this film is that capitalism is bad and that its very existence is antithetical to the welfare of "regular people." Bing: Michael Moore Well Mr. Moore, let me tell you what free-market capitalism, in essence, really is.
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Posted
Sep 30 2009, 03:48 AM
by
Douglas McIntyre
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
A devilishly clever new Trojan virus that works over the Internet can hack into bank accounts while people are online and take money without being noticed.
According to CNET, the Trojan, dubbed "URLzone," has features "designed to thwart fraud detection systems which are triggered by unusual transactions.”
The new program takes online fraud to a new level. And that should cause significant alarm among consumers. It appears that the experts who create the Trojans have made them so advanced that they will soon be able to get into credit card and brokerage accounts, which could cause a nationwide disruption of the financial system and drive people away from online banking. Financial firms have counted on increasing numbers of people to use the Internet for their transactions which save the banks money on retail locations and tellers.
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Posted
Sep 23 2009, 04:06 AM
by
Douglas McIntyre
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
Jeff Bezos, the founder and chief executive of Amazon (AMZN), is known for being eccentric, but his new handset offer may be taking that act a bit too far. Cell phones using the AT&T (T) wireless network were selling on Amazon yesterday for one penny each. If the program is a success it is likely to come back.
The only product not available at the remarkable price is the Apple (AAPL) iPhone.
The purchase of the phone must be made with a two-year AT&T wireless subscription. The phones also come with free two-day shipping.
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Posted
Sep 14 2009, 03:30 AM
by
Douglas McIntyre
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
 China has voiced unusually strong objections to tariffs on its tire exports to the U.S. The American government believes that the Chinese are targeting the industry, which is costing U.S. jobs. Labor unions will like the decision, as will a number of members of Congress who think China does not work on a level playing field when it comes to trade.
China has already begun the process of retaliation. It has the upper hand in a trade war with the U.S. and it is about to use that hand to prove its supremacy.
The mainland government has said it will scrutinize U.S. imports of chicken and auto products and may put limits on them. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce said that China "has consistently opposed trade protectionism, and the country’s actions since the financial crisis have reflected this stance.”
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Posted
Sep 10 2009, 09:00 AM
by
Minyanville
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
This article is written by Minyanville's Glenn Curtis
On September 15, electronics retailer Best Buy (BBY) is due out with its second-quarter numbers. And I’m here to tell you I think the shares are worth a look ahead of the announcement. Here’s why: 1. Although the shares have certainly had a nice run since the latter part of 2008, the stock hasn’t gone straight up like some other big names out there. In fact, it seems to be hovering roughly in the $30 to $40 range, looking for some sort of catalyst. Because of this, I’m less worried about profit-taking. Bing: What do analysts say about BBY?
2. It’s thumped the estimate the last three quarters, and I think it will beat again. Management knows this game, and it will be doing its utmost to make sure investors are left with a good taste in their mouths, post release. Incidentally, note that in the last 30 days, the estimate has edged up from $0.40 to $0.41. Not gigantic by any stretch, but still a good thing.
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Posted
Sep 03 2009, 10:00 AM
by
InvestorPlace
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
 This post was written by Jim Woods for InvestorPlace.
There are those who accuse retail giant Wal-Mart (WMT) of being the ultimate predator. They swoop down onto small-town America gobbling up defenseless mom-and-pop retailers, or so the narrative goes. Now, Wal-Mart is testing the waters with a much more formidable opponent, and this one’s replete with piranhas and anacondas. Yes, Wal-Mart is taking on Amazon (AMZN).
On Monday, Wal-Mart announced it would launch an updated online commerce site, offering nearly 1 million items. What’s really interesting is that this store will offer products not only from Wal-Mart stores, but also from a number of outside retailers. Named the “Wal-Mart Marketplace,” the new online commerce site will offer products in a variety of categories including home, baby, toys, apparel, sporting goods and even sports memorabilia. The company’s partner retailers include eBags, CSN Stores and Pro Team.
Hmmm...sounds a lot like Amazon's business model when they branched out from books years ago. Sounds a little like eBay's (EBAY) business model, too.
Bing: Do you love or hate Wal-Mart?
Now, those of you who read my recent post about Wal-Mart know I am a big fan of the company, not just from a business perspective, but on moral grounds. The retailer provides millions of people around the globe access to low-priced goods -- and by extension creates wealth via the low-price savings dividend we all benefit from. They also provide millions of jobs for people around the globe. But I think Wal-Mart’s real virtue lies in the fact that the company continues making solid profits.
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Posted
Sep 03 2009, 04:58 AM
by
Minyanville
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
 This article is written by Minyanville's Tal Pinchevsky
Even eBay (EBAY) itself might admit that the summer of 2009 has been a difficult one. Its sale of 65% of Skype for $1.9 billion was a disappointing end to what was supposed to be a major, if puzzling, acquisition. And the company’s stock immediately took a hit on the heels of Walmart (WMT) announcing a new third-party retail site that could cut into eBay’s market share. It all brought an unceremonious end to what was supposed to be a historic anniversary for an industry trailblazer. Bing: How to use Skype
Since being founded in 1995, eBay has become an undisputed monster in an online marketplace that has seen plenty of high-profile Web brands come and go. That’s not bad, considering founder Pierre Omidyar built the site to assist his wife with her growing collection of Pez dispensers. But the real beginning of eBay as we know it began exactly a decade ago with the first few steps in what would become a sprawling global expansion.
Ten years ago this summer, eBay launched its British and German sites, which have since gone on to become among the company’s most-active national sites. It went on to launch in dozens more countries and, between 2003 and 2005, the company launched important sites in China and India, making it the world’s largest online marketplace.
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Posted
Aug 14 2009, 02:49 PM
by
Minyanville
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
This article was written by Minyanville's Mike Schuster with additional reporting by Nico Carbellano.
This has been a high-profile week for cyber criminals. An as-yet-unidentified cyber thief made off with the identities of some 500 dewy-eyed journalism-school applicants by breaking into the UC Berkeley server. Twitter -- the inexplicably popular, profoundly useless social networking site -- was taken offline for the second time, along with Facebook, in as many weeks by the same kind of hack that took down Google (GOOG) last year. And British hacker Gary McKinnon -- accused of pulling off the biggest military computer hack of all time, to the tune of $800,000 -- lost an appeal to avoid extradition to the United States. He'll therefore be tried stateside, where we don't take kindly to this sort of thing.
Despite the scale of these network outages, they can't hold a candle to those affected by some of our more ambitious computer hackers. Click here to view 10 of the costliest cyber crimes of all time.
The business of computer hacking is certainly booming, with hack-related losses totaling a staggering trillion dollars per year worldwide. In February, Ponemon Institute conducted a survey to determine the average loss a business incurs when it suffers a security breach. Reviewing cases from 43 organizations, the group finalized a figure: $6.6 million.
Bing: Cyber criminals
While that might seem like small potatoes for megacorporations like Wal-Mart (WMT) or Best Buy (BBY) -- which experienced data leaks in 2006 and 2007, respectively -- the cost of clients' files being released into the hands of a nefarious hacker could ruin a smaller company.
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Posted
Aug 13 2009, 12:00 PM
by
Anthony Mirhaydari
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
Thursday's retail sales numbers were surely a disappointment for those looking for signs of strength from the consumer: Overall sales was supposed to be up 0.8% according to the consensus estimate but instead fell 0.1% in July after a revised 0.8% gain in June. "Core" sales, which excluded autos and gas, dropped 0.4% following a 0.1% decline in June.
This is the fifth-straight month of declining retail sales. Another leg down for consumer spending couldn't come at a more inopportune time as the back-to-school and holiday shopping seasons loom. But can you really blame people for cutting back? Gluskin Sheff economist David Rosenberg writes:
Bing: More on retail sales
"With every 1 in 8 Americans with a mortgage either in arrears or in the foreclosure process; 1 in 4 homeowners 'upside down' on their mortgage; 1 in 6 either unemployment or underemployed; and 1 in every 7 housing units in the United States sitting vacant right now, it will be interesting to see exactly what sort of recovery we end up with. These numbers we just cited are straight out of the twilight zone."
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