Browse by Tags
-
Posted
Jun 04 2009, 03:37 AM
by
Douglas McIntyre
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
Many big-box retailers, including Best Buy (BBY), Target (TGT), and Costco (COST), are struggling as the recession beats down their same-store sales. General retailers such as Sears (SHLD) are not faring any better. That means that the layoffs in the retail industry, which have already been extensive, are likely to continue, especially if the 2009 holiday season is weak.
Wal-Mart (WMT) is at the other end of the spectrum, by itself. The world’s largest retailer says it will add 22,000 jobs at its U.S. stores this year. That is down slightly from 2008, but in an economy that is forcing hundreds of thousands of people out of work each month, it is extremely impressive.
Read More...
-
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, Costco, 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...
-
Posted
May 22 2009, 05:16 PM
by
James Dlugosch
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
Boy, these guys are good. Last December when Sears (SHLD) announced earnings, the company tried to sugarcoat significantly worse-than-expected results with an announcement of a stock buyback.
They've gotten clever again.
On Thursday, after the market closed, Sears announced earnings ahead of schedule. The news was positive, and management knew it would be received by the market. Reporting a profit excluding items of 38 cents per share was too good to wait to report.
More importantly, Sears had secured a line of credit for $2.4 billion that would immediately put to rest concerns about credit.
Sears indeed jumped way up at the open, ending Friday's trading up 10%. Can you say short squeeze?
But not so fast, buster. Before you celebrate the rise of a grand old name, recognize that Sears still has major problems.
Read More...
-
Posted
Feb 12 2008, 06:53 AM
by
Douglas McIntyre
Rating:
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...
-
Posted
Jan 14 2008, 11:16 AM
by
Robert Walberg
Rating:
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...
-
Posted
Jul 02 2009, 03:24 AM
by
Douglas McIntyre
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
 Several car companies have offered to make monthly payments for new auto buyers who lose jobs. Hyundai even has a program to take some vehicles back if their owners can’t find work.
The Kmart division of Sears (SHLD) is joining the parade of firms hoping to aid those down on their luck. According to the Financial Times, the program will start in Michigan, the hardest-hit state where joblessness is above 14%. It is also the home of Kmart’s former parent.
The paper writes that Kmart will give unemployed people in Michigan a “Smart Assist Savings” card for six months, which gets them 20% off the store’s private label goods.
Read More...
-
Posted
Mar 31 2009, 04:17 AM
by
Douglas McIntyre
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
Toyota’s (TM) share of the U.S. light vehicle market is 18% and Honda’s (HMC) is 10%. General Motors (GM) claims about 22%. Fifty-five years ago, the No. 1 U.S. car company had 54% of the market. By this time next year, GM’s piece of the American car pie could drop another 50%, bringing it closer to Honda’s.
It seems improbable that GM could lose that many customers so fast. But Rick Wagoner, the recently departed chief executive of the company, told Congress in December that people won’t buy cars from a bankrupt company. Some at the hearings figured Wagoner was bluffing, trying to convince Washington that a Chapter 11 filing would end the firm’s ability to market products because customers could turn to cars made by competitors in reasonably good financial shape.
But most research done recently indicates that Wagoner was probably right, at least right enough that GM’s sales could be clobbered by consumers who believe that their warranties will be worthless and that their dealers will disappear.
Read More...
-
Posted
Oct 06 2008, 06:34 AM
by
Douglas McIntyre
Rating:
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...
-
Posted
Dec 01 2008, 12:30 AM
by
Andrew Horowitz
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
 So far this season, we have seen a mixed bag of earnings. Earnings are light this week but several important economic indicators are coming out over the next few days.
While earnings and market news are both important, economic data is considered a general measure of our system's financial stability. Though many of these indicators are lagging, since they look back at the previous month, they can provide us a with good indication of where our economy may be heading.
Typically these numbers are issued monthly and the market will usually only react to substantial deviations from expectations. In fact, if investors have already priced in a disappointing outcome, the market may be muted following the data release. Here's what is coming out this week and what to expect
Read More...
-
Posted
Aug 22 2008, 08:01 PM
by
Andrew Horowitz
Rating:
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...
More Posts Next page »
|
