Foot Locker (FL), which competes against Collective Brands (PSS) and Wal-Mart (WMT) for a share of the shoe industry, issued a Q3 report on Thursday after the bell that was typical of many retailers: declining sales and dismal profits. Sometimes, the market is in the mood to ignore such grim news, but such indifference is usually predicated on an earnings beat. Unfortunately, this was not the case for the New York-based specialty athletic retailer.

On an adjusted basis, per-share profit dropped over 40% to 10 cents per share. Analysts were looking for 13 cents per share, according to Earnings.com. Same-store sales took a dive of 8.2%.

Continue reading Foot Locker has tough Q3, but does the dividend yield mean anything?

Foot Locker has tough Q3, but does the dividend yield mean anything? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sears Holdings (SHLD) was selling off close to 5% at the time of this writing in reaction to the company's Q3 report. On an adjusted basis, the retailer lost 81 cents per share. That was better than the 90 cents lost in the comparable period, and it did beat the forecast as highlighted in our earnings preview.

I'm sort of shocked that the market didn't bid Sears higher. Going into the earnings news, the stock was hanging out near a 52-week high. Let's see, Wall Street sends the stock to the high point of the range, the release comes out, the loss isn't as bad as analysts expected it to be, and everyone sells. The market sure is strange sometimes, isn't it?

Continue reading Sears Holdings beats estimates, but still has a bad trading day

Sears Holdings beats estimates, but still has a bad trading day originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The price at the cash register ticked higher in October, though it was driven by the cost at the pump and on the lot.

Energy prices and new car sales (the highest in 28 years) pushed consumer prices upward in October, they're still cheaper than they were a year earlier. The Labor Department reports that consumer prices edged up 0.3% last month, a tad higher than the 0.2% anticipated. Take food and energy out of the equation, and inflation rose 0.2%, again ahead of the 0.1% that analysts expected.

Continue reading Energy, auto sales push consumer prices higher in October

Energy, auto sales push consumer prices higher in October originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

BJ's Wholesale Club (BJ), whose competitive colleagues include Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) and Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT), issued Q3 results earlier today. According to TheStreet.com, adjusted earnings of 45 cents per share met expectations.

And apparently that wasn't good enough for the traders. As of this writing, shares of BJ's were trading down 3% on above-average volume. Was the BJ's story that bad?

Continue reading BJ's posts Q3 report, stock drops

BJ's posts Q3 report, stock drops originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage on BloggingStocks:

• Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (ANF) lower Q3 results still topped expectations and sent shares higher.
• Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT) posted much better-than-expected Q4 earnings, the first profit in a year.
• AstraZeneca (AZN) received an analyst's downgrade due to concerns over its earnings prospects.
• Blackstone Group (BX) received an analyst's upgrade following the company's Q3 results.
• Blockbuster Inc. (BBI) widened its net loss in Q3 and revenue and same-stores sales declined.
• Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (CLNE) shares declined after its Q3 numbers fell short of expectations.
• Consolidated Water Co. Inc. (CWCO) earnings prospects for 2010 earned it an analyst upgrade.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Abercrombie, Blockbuster, Disney, Macy's, Walmart ...

Earnings highlights: Abercrombie, Blockbuster, Disney, Macy's, Walmart ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Can't go up every day (BAC, HE, HPW, COMS, BRCD, WMT, AMD)

Closing Bell: Can't go up every day (BAC, HE, HPW, COMS, BRCD, WMT, AMD) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Net sales went up only 1%. They were inhibited by the currency environment. But total sales aren't as relevant as same-store sales when it comes to this sector. If I were a shareholder of Wal-Mart, I would be very disappointed by the comps number, since it is the older locations which indicate how well a retailer is truly doing.

Continue reading Wal-Mart grows profit and cash flow in Q3, but comps still ailing

Wal-Mart grows profit and cash flow in Q3, but comps still ailing originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Wal-Mart (WMT) won't close Thanksgiving weekend -- not at all. The world's largest retailer is going to keep its stores open 24 hours in an attempt to manage demand for entry during the busiest shopping days of the year. The company has announced it will also implement other crowd-control measures. The festivities start at 5 AM on November 27, 2009. Of course, this doesn't involve any change fro the Wal-Mart Supercenters which already remain open 24 hours a day, but it does address the 800 stores that aren't.

The 24-hour access alone won't do much to alleviate the pressure from thrill-seekers and the bargain-crazed who will want to push through immediately. To help with this problem, Wal-Mart is allowing people to gather in different parts of the store when waiting for the deals to kick off. According to Wal-Mart spokesman David Tovar, "If you've got a 200,000-square-foot store, people will be dispersed throughout the store instead of lined up outside the store." Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

As the old infomercial guys love to say ... "But wait, there's more!"

Continue reading Wal-Mart amps up hours, crowd control for Black Friday

Wal-Mart amps up hours, crowd control for Black Friday originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Macy's (M) reported third-quarter numbers on Wednesday, and although the bottom line beat estimates, shares of the retailer plunged over 8% on high volume. And I don't blame the market whatsoever for deciding to sell the company down.

Macy's said it lost, on an adjusted basis, 3 cents per share. The call was for a loss of 7 cents per share, according to Earnings.com. Okay, I guess we can say losing less money than expected is a good thing. However, looking at the sales numbers really makes me pause. Total sales declined 3.9%, and same-store sales contracted 3.6%.

Continue reading Macy's tops estimates, but market not impressed

Macy's tops estimates, but market not impressed originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

From TheStreet.com Network

• Macy's Outlook Disappoints, Shares Slip
• Wal-Mart Sales Show Cracks, Shares Slip

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Not much time left for downside

Cramer on BloggingStocks: Not much time left for downside originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Before the bell: Stocks to open lower despite Wal-Mart's beat

Before the bell: Stocks to open lower despite Wal-Mart's beat originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Joining the ranks of Tickle-Me Elmo, Cabbage Patch Kids, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ... behold, the Zhu Zhu Pets. These robotic rodents are expected to be the most in-demand toy for the 2009 holiday shopping season.

The five battery-operated hamsters respond to touch with 40 different sounds, and can also run around when set in "explore" mode. It's all the fun of having a pet without the messy clean-up duty.

Parents, you have Cepia LLC, a small company in St. Louis, to thank for these critters. The firm is hoping to ship between 4 million and 5 million pets by the end of the year (banking $300 million to $400 million in sales), but admits they cannot keep up with the demand. Cepia has grand plans, however, for the next part of the Zhu Zhu universe, hoping to roll out hedgehogs, rabbits, and other furry robot friends in the next year or so.

Continue reading And the hottest toy for the holiday season is ...

And the hottest toy for the holiday season is ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Santa hasn't even been tugged down Central Park West yet, and Wal-Mart (WMT) is already slashing its prices. The market among major retailers is intensifying, with many offering products as loss leaders in order to entice customers into the store (physical or otherwise) and boost their basket sizes. Along with Target (TGT) and Amazon (AMZN), Walmart is slashing DVD prices, the same tactic it's using with books.

Retailers are rushing to undercut each other this year, which is causing prices to spiral down quickly. When Walmart announced reduced prices on several titles to $10, Amazon followed at $9.99, with Walmart stepping back in at $9.98.

Continue reading Walmart, Amazon now slash DVD prices: What's next?

Walmart, Amazon now slash DVD prices: What's next? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The conventional wisdom is that consumer spending is what drives the U.S. economy. And consumer spending arises out of consumer confidence. Unfortunately, the signals along the road to economic recovery are mixed, what with the rising GDP growth and the dismal unemployment numbers. Its enough to leave investors scratching their heads. What barometers of consumer confidence will the coming week bring?

The TIPP Economic Optimism Index for November is scheduled for Tuesday, and the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index for November is due out Friday.

Continue reading The week in preview: Earnings from Walmart, Macy's, and other retailers

The week in preview: Earnings from Walmart, Macy's, and other retailers originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

There's a chill in the air and a slight up-tick in confidence. Holiday discounts are coming a bit earlier, too. For retailers, this has been a great combination, leading to the second consecutive month in which retail sales increased.

This follows more than a year of drops. Consumers aren't going crazy, but they are loosening their wallets a little bit. Consumer spending accounts for 70% of the U.S. economy, and the coming holiday season is where the action is -- for the retail sector and, consequently, for everyone else.

Continue reading Retail sales: Signs of life, but not yet a rising tide

Retail sales: Signs of life, but not yet a rising tide originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Wal-Mart shares are dead money -- so where is it headed?

Wal-Mart shares are dead money -- so where is it headed? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Halloween stocks offer investors a chance at financial treats

Halloween stocks offer investors a chance at financial treats originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Small book retailers were buying in bulk from major online booksellers because they could really save some money. One was buying up to 70 copies of a particular title -- it was $5 less a pop from the big guys than it would have been from the publisher. Finally, however, the big retailers have become wise to the trend and taken action, according to the Wall Street Journal (subscription required).

Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT), Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), and Target (NYSE: TGT) have decided to cap the number of books customers can buy online, a measure intended to prevent smaller competitors from treating them as partners. Walmart is limiting customers to two copies of a particular book, with Amazon placing the border at three and Target at five.

Continue reading Major booksellers didn't realize they were suppliers to rivals

Major booksellers didn't realize they were suppliers to rivals originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

People need to eat, and Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) sells food. People need to cover themselves, and Wal-Mart sells apparel. You get the idea - the biggest needs may be thin-margin, and their all sure things. Wal-Mart plays in the inevitable, which makes its latest market entry a little less surprising than you might think. Wal-Mart is pushing caskets and urns - depending on how you want your remains preserved. What is a bit shocking, however, is that the brick-and-mortar player is selling its death gear online.

Wal-Mart is using its low price strategy to beat funeral homes, which have seemingly forever been the biggest sales channel for caskets. Prices start at $999 for the low end models and go up to the Sienna Bronze Casket at $3,199. Except for this last one, all models sell for under $2,000 ... and all product ships within 48 hours. The funeral homes are over a barrel on this one, since federal law requires them to accept third-party caskets.

Wal-Mart is supplied by Star Legacy Funeral Network, and both are apparently happy with the first week's sales.

The Bentonville-based retail giant is not the first to get into the gloomy business of bodies. Discount retailer Costco (NASDAQ: COST) is already in the online casket business.

Wal-Mart's latest money-making scheme: Death! originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Toys R Us bought FAO Schwarz in May and is now ready to do something interesting with it.

It's a pretty bold move for a tough retail market. Toys R Us is opening FAO Schwarz boutiques in some of its stores. It's also relaunching the upscale toy seller's website, FAO.com. A year ago, this would have been suicide, but now, it might work out. With retailers in every sector fighting for an edge, this move may beef up the Toys R Us in-store experience, with the online play helping it reach higher-spending consumers that may not have access to an FAO brick-and-mortar spot.

Continue reading Toys R Us opening FAO Schwarz boutiques for the holidays

Toys R Us opening FAO Schwarz boutiques for the holidays originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.