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• Holiday shopping puts retailers under siege

  Posted Oct 06 2008, 06:34 AM by Douglas McIntyre
  Rating:
  Filed under: Sears, JC Penney, credit crisis
  Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money

  Santa will be thinner this year, a sign that he cannot afford all that rich food. It is a good thing that he wears a beard because can't afford a razor.

  By most estimates, this will be the worst holiday shopping season since 1991. That is optimistic. The better benchmark is probably the deep recession of 1973.

  Some retailers may not have access to the credit needed to keep items in inventory. It won't matter much to them if shoppers show up or not. They won't have anything to sell.   Read More...

  Discuss ( 10 comments) 8,229 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this

• Stocks to watch: Size matters, but does Sears?

  Posted Aug 22 2008, 08:01 PM by Andrew Horowitz
  Rating:
  Filed under: Sears, Andrew Horowitz, earnings
  Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money

  

  Fed Chairman Bernanke confirmed what everyone's been thinking about the markets, saying the "crisis is softening growth, raising joblessness, and the Fed’s job is one of the most challenging in memory".

  He believes that the recent trend of the dollar will likely slow inflation but that U.S. growth would fall short of potential for a time, which will help curb inflation. That sounds like the Fed believes that companies will have their work cut out for them.

  The market seemed to like what he said. But what can we expect to see from companies reporting in the coming week?   Read More...

  Discuss ( 2 comments) 7,628 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this

• The 10 worst-managed companies in America

  Posted Jun 23 2008, 05:41 AM by Douglas McIntyre
  Rating:
  Filed under: Citigroup, Sprint, Wal-Mart, Intel, AMD, AT&T, Starbucks, Target, Sears, IBM, Circuit City, Sun Microsystems
  Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money

  With the trading year almost half over and results from the first quarter out, 24/7 Wall Street has created the latest installment of its Ten Worst Managed Companies In America list. This is a companion piece to the "CEO of the Year" list and "Large Companies that May Disappear" series.

  This analysis is based on: 1) one-year and five-year stock performance relative to the major indexes and other companies in the industry, 2) the company's position in its industry both now and over the last five years, 3) whether management made identifiable and critical decisions which hurt the company, 4) a change in the company's relative market strength compared to its competition, and 5) whether the company could have identified mistakes and changed course quickly enough to avoid a catastrophe.

  Some readers will think it is not fair to include companies which have had a recent   Read More...

  Discuss ( 260 comments) 224,697 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this

• 8 famous companies that may vanish this year

  Posted Feb 12 2008, 06:53 AM by Douglas McIntyre
  Rating:
  Filed under: Microsoft, Yahoo, Motorola, Sprint, Verizon, AT&T, Qwest, Sears, Nortel
  Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money

  Firestone. American Motors. Texaco. Pan Am. Worldcom. These large American companies were once at the top of their industries. Pan Am was the leading global airline for decades. All are gone: Some were sold off, others went bankrupt. Who could have predicted it?

  There are several iconic U.S. companies that may well not exist at the end of 2008. Some may not even make it halfway through the year. Not all will go out of business. Some may simply be auctioned off in pieces. Others may be bought. These companies will not exist in their current forms as they are known to their shareholders and consumers now.

  When a company ceases to exist as an independent entity, it is not necessarily bad for shareholders. Some may be worth more in parts. Often a bust-up or merger is what brings owners the most money. Here are the big ones that probably won't make it.  (A more detailed assessment is available at 24/7 Wall St.)   Read More...

  Discuss ( 59 comments) 29,966 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this

• Softer side of Sears

  Posted Jan 14 2008, 11:16 AM by Robert Walberg
  Rating:
  Filed under: retail, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Restoration Hardware, Target, Sears
  Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money

  

  The "softer side of Sears" no longer refers to its apparel merchandise, but to its sales and earnings history.

  Citing difficult economic conditions and growing competition, the company warned that fourth-quarter sales and earnings would fall well shy of Wall Street estimates.  Management now expects quarterly earnings of between $2.59 to $3.48 per share, a whopping 20% to 40% below the Street's consensus estimate.  The stock responded by falling to its lowest level in three years.

  It's a bit surprising to me that so many investors were surprised by the company's dismal quarter -- especially given that Sears issued an even bigger warning last quarter. The company has also had a history of underperforming expectations over the past several years. Let's face it, the Lampert experiment has been a total bust. You can prop up numbers only so long by cutting costs and repurchasing shares -- at some point you have to improve the core business and  Lampert, chairman and architect of the merger with Kmart, never had the retailing experience necessary to get the job done. 

  The idea of merging two struggling retailers in hopes of creating a thriving one was doomed from the start -- especially since management was more concerned with pleasing Wall Street analysts than store customers. The folks on Wall Street might not be the brightest bunch in the world, but even they are beginning to realize that Lampert's financial razzle dazzle hasn't done anything to make Sears or Kmart more relevant to shoppers.   Read More...

  Discuss ( 71 comments) 11,575 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this