CVS Caremark (CVS), which competes with Walgreen (WAG), Rite Aid (RAD), and Wal-Mart (WMT), posted fourth-quarter data on Monday. Sales increased 7%, and adjusted earnings per share from continuing operations (excluding, in addition, a penny per share relating to a tax benefit) came in at 78 cents -- good for a growth rate of over 11%. That bottom-line performance matched analyst projections, according to our earnings preview.

As we all know, matching expectations is sometimes the death of a stock. The market has no conscience when it comes to mercilessly punishing an equity for not going beyond the call of the analysts. However, CVS actually did pretty well yesterday, rising 5% by the end of the session; the move was backed by healthy volume.

Continue reading CVS Caremark: Long-Term Bet After Q4?

CVS Caremark: Long-Term Bet After Q4? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Serious Money: Cheapest Stocks Yet -- From 35 to 26

Serious Money: Cheapest Stocks Yet -- From 35 to 26 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Serious Money: Still Cheap Market -- 35 Stocks + Yields & Growth

Serious Money: Still Cheap Market -- 35 Stocks + Yields & Growth originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Wal-Mart (WMT) closed at $53.43. WMT's volatility is flat on tight trading range as it is expected to report Q4 EPS on February 18. February put option implied volatility is at 20, March and June puts are at 21; near its 26-week average of 21, according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price movement.

Three stocks with IV rise on January 29; Berkshire Hathaway (BRK/B) +9%, Focus Media (FMCN) + 8%, Talbots (TLB) +6% according to IVolatility.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com

Options Update: Wal-Mart Volatility Flat into EPS originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Walmart (WMT) will be getting rid of more than 11,000 employees inside its Sam's Club wholesale stores and replacing them with outside marketers. Frankly, it's surprising the world's largest retailer didn't do this years ago.

Sam's Club offers so many products in bulk that goading some aisle surfers into buying 36-packs of portable sausages comes at a price: sampling and in-aisle live displays. The manufacturers of those products or their hired outsourcers will now get the joy of working those demo displays.

Continue reading Walmart to Cut Over 11,000 Sam's Club Positions, Outsource In-Store Product Demos

Walmart to Cut Over 11,000 Sam's Club Positions, Outsource In-Store Product Demos originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Goldman upgraded Walmart (WMT) to buy from neutral, citing compelling valuation, margin expansion and expense control. The firm has a $60 target on the stock.
• FBR Capital upgraded Urban Outfitters (URBN) to outperform from market perform on valuation and its belief that sustainable positive comp trends will return in 2010. The firm maintains a $35 price target on shares.
• JPMorgan upgraded Manpower (MAN) to overweight from neutral. The firm cites valuation and improving temp fundamentals in the U.S. and France for the upgrade and has a $70 price target on the stock.
• Arena Resources (ARD) was upgraded to buy from neutral at SunTrust.
• C.R. Bard (BCR) was upgraded to neutral from underweight at Piper Jaffray.
• Cardinal Health (CAH) was upgraded to overweight from market weight at Thomas Weisel.

Continue reading Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: BKC, CAH, DGX, FII, MAN, URBN, WMT ...

Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: BKC, CAH, DGX, FII, MAN, URBN, WMT ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Serious Money: Market Looks Cheap to Me -- 35 Stocks

Serious Money: Market Looks Cheap to Me -- 35 Stocks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

My trade on GameStop Corp. (GME) has come to an inauspicious end. Today, I sold out of my position, realizing a significant loss.

It's always difficult to turn a paper loss into an authentic one. You worry if the stock is going to suddenly rise after you sold out. I'm sure that could happen in my case. In fact, at the time of this writing, shares were higher than the price at which I sold them. I ditched them at around $19.60 per share.

Continue reading Trade Update: Realized Loss on GameStop

Trade Update: Realized Loss on GameStop originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Ross Stores Discounting More Than Fashion

Chasing Value: Ross Stores Discounting More Than Fashion originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Looking for dividend-paying blue chip stocks? Chuck Carlson is a leading expert on dividend reinvestment plans.

In The DRIP Investor, he looks at the 10/10 Club -- stocks that have boosted their payouts by 10% a year for at least 10 years. He explains,"The table below features seven stocks that belong to the exclusive '10/10' club:

Continue reading The 10/10 Dividend Club

The 10/10 Dividend Club originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Retailers don't like competition. As it is, they get enough of it from each other in the pursuit of razor-thin margins. It's standard practice to squeeze manufacturers for lower prices and more concessions as part of this battle.

For years, it's also been the norm for retailers to push back on manufacturers' direct-to-consumer models, as it gives consumers one less reason to enter the store, results in smaller basket sizes and greater pressure on wallet share. When a consumer product giant decides to bypass the retailers, eyebrows rise across the consumer business industry, with manufacturers thinking about new revenue possibilities while retailers worry that other product companies will follow.

Continue reading P&G Tinkers with Direct-to-Consumer Model

P&G Tinkers with Direct-to-Consumer Model originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Carter's Inc. (CRI), a retailer of children's apparel, reported Q3 earnings on Friday. The company delivered a nice increase in both sales and net income. It even beat earnings estimates. Yet, the stock is down over 3% as I write this. The market can be funny sometimes, huh?

The top line increased over 10%. Adjusted per-share profit came in at 84 cents. That represented a whopping increase over the adjusted 58 cents per share recorded one year ago. Carter's also experienced a good rise in comparable store sales; the statistic went up over 6%. The OshKosh segment didn't do so well with comps, however.

Continue reading Sales Increase in Third Quarter Drives Results for Carter's

Sales Increase in Third Quarter Drives Results for Carter's originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Target Corporation (TGT), a retailer that competes with Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT) and Best Buy Co., Inc. (BBY), had some good news today for its shareholders. Management has decided to reinstate its stock buyback program. According to the press release, the company believes the economic environment has improved to the point where reducing some of its float could be a worthwhile investment.

This buyback is a continuation of a $10 billion program begun back in November 2007. About half of that sum has already been spent; the remainder of the allocation is expected to be used up in two to three years. So, this isn't an aggressive move, certainly. And, as always, evolving market conditions can affect the intended schedule.

Continue reading Target Thinks Its Stock Is a Good Investment -- Should You?

Target Thinks Its Stock Is a Good Investment -- Should You? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Wal-Mart Begins Charging for Grocery Bags in California

Wal-Mart Begins Charging for Grocery Bags in California originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Have you ever had one of those days? Yeah, you've had 'em. I'm having one right now. I cannot believe how wrong my thesis on GameStop (GME) turned out to be. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

I honestly thought things were going to be different today. The video-game retailer would report its holiday sales and I would see a pop in my shares. I would have the opportunity to sell out at a nice price above my cost basis. A cost basis, by the way, that had been severely challenged soon after I opened the position.

Continue reading Trade Update: GameStop -- An Absolute Nightmare

Trade Update: GameStop -- An Absolute Nightmare originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) scored in its fiscal third quarter. Sales rose well over 10%. Same-store sales increased a very impressive 7.3%. The real star, however, was the net income number. Earnings per diluted share soared 71% higher to 58 cents.

Wow, huh? Bed Bath & Beyond's management really benefited from the improving times. You've also got to give some credit to good retail positioning. Analysts weren't counting on much more than 43 cents per share, according to Earnings.com. In addition, I found the nine-month statement of cash flows a pleasing document to read.

Continue reading Bed Bath & Beyond Surpasses Estimates, Delivers Good Comps in Q3

Bed Bath & Beyond Surpasses Estimates, Delivers Good Comps in Q3 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Family Dollar Stores (FDO) is a hot stock this afternoon. As of this writing, shares were up over 11% on monster volume. Investors loved the first-quarter numbers. I found them intriguing, too.

Sales increased almost 4%, with same-store sales registering a 2.4% expansion. Net income jumped over 16% to 49 cents per diluted share. According to our earnings preview, Family Dollar was supposed to do 47 cents. Gross margin improved; one of the driving factors for this improvement was a reduction in seasonal markdowns, something I find particularly encouraging, since avoiding markdowns should always be near the top of the list when it comes to advisable actions in retail operations. In addition, management reiterated its guidance for the full fiscal year. Taking everything in total, I think we can say that the retailer delivered a strong quarter, especially in the face of the tough holiday period.

Continue reading Family Dollar Up Big on Q1 report

Family Dollar Up Big on Q1 report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Wal-Mart to Squeeze More out of Supply Chain

Wal-Mart to Squeeze More out of Supply Chain originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 09:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The holidays have ended, and the real sales have begun. Those choosing to sacrifice sentimentality for savings found retailers only too willing to help, as prices were slashed in the wake of the Christmas rush. Recipients of gift cards stand to see their purchasing power extended, as well, now that redemption time has arrived, and retailers are looking to squeeze in any extra sales they can to pump up their top lines before the books close on the fiscal year, which, for many, comes at the end of January.

Toys "R" Us has offered a deal on Nintendo (NTDOY) Wii games, with the second coming at half price, and Target (TGT) is nearly halving the price of wine glasses and dropping the tag on an argyle women's sweater by nearly a third. Walmart (WMT), which kicked off its cuts at the end of September, is throwing a $50 gift card on top of any Microsoft (MSFT) Xbox 360 buy.

Continue reading After Christmas, Retailers Pick Up the Pieces

After Christmas, Retailers Pick Up the Pieces originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 28 Dec 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Best Buy Outpaces Rivals in Electronics Sales

Best Buy Outpaces Rivals in Electronics Sales originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 28 Dec 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.