If Hollywood handed out Oscars for Best Recent Comeback Among Beaten Down Retailers, J.C. Penney would have been among Sunday night's nominees.
J.C. Penney shares jumped 9% early Tuesday before settling up 4% to $8.29. The gains extended a runup that began last week, when shares surged 25% pop after the company posted better-than-expected fourth quarter results and said was on fist-quarter track for its first profitable quarter since since early 2011.
An Academy Awards show sponsor the past 13 years, J.C. Penney rolled out six new TV spots during Sunday's telecast as part of its latest "When it fits, you feel it'' marketing campaign. The spots, which highlight the department store chain's latest women's fashions, have struck a chord among some marketing experts.
More good news came after the market's close Monday, when J.C. Penney's credit rating was upgraded to "neutral" from "negative" by Standard & Poors.
Staples, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an office products company. The company offers various office supplies and services, office machines and related products, computers and related products, and office furniture under Staples, Quill, and other proprietary brands. It also provides copy and print services to retail and delivery customers, as well as technology services through its EasyTech business. The company sells and delivers office products and services directly to businesses and consumers through Internet retail, including Staples.com and Quill.com, as well as through contract sales force, direct mail catalog business, and retail stores. As of January 28, 2012, it operated 2,295 retail stores in 48 states and the District of Columbia in the United States; and 10 provinces and 2 territories in Canada, as well as in Belgium, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, the United Kingdom, China, Argentina, and Australia. The company also operated 124 distribution and fulfillment centers in 29 states in the United States; 7 provinces in Canada; and in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, China, Argentina, Brazil, and Australia. Staples, Inc. was founded in 1986 and is based in Framingham, Massachusetts.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Ben Eisen]
Given that outlook, he sees ten stocks in the consumer discretionary sector that qualify as bargains at the moment, including some of the very stocks that are expecting downbeat holiday results. They include: Advance Auto Parts Inc. (AAP) , AutoNation, Inc. (AN) , Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (BBBY) , Carmax, Inc. (KMX) �, Nordstrom Inc. (JWN) �, PetsMart, Inc. (PETM) �, Ross Stores, Inc. (ROST) , Staples, Inc. (SPLS) �, Target Corp. (TGT) �, and Urban Outfitters, Inc. (URBN) .
- [By Jeff Reeves]
So which retailers stink the worst? Here�� a list of 11 dogs, and some data on stock performance and sales numbers to illustrate just how ugly things are:
Staples (SPLS)
Returns since 1/1/14: -28% vs. 3% gains for the S&P 500.
Returns since 1/1/11: -50% vs. 51% gains for the S&P 500.
Revenue Growth Last Year: -5% ($24.4 billion in FY13 to $23.1 billion for FY14)
Best Retail Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Yum! Brands Inc.(YUM)
YUM! Brands, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a quick service restaurant company in the United States and internationally. It develops, operates, franchises, and licenses a system of restaurants, which prepare, package, and sell various food items, as well as operates Chinese casual dining concept restaurants. The company?s restaurants specialize in chicken, pizza, and Mexican-style food categories. It operates approximately 37,000 restaurants in 110 countries and territories under the KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell brands, as well as approximately 450 casual dining concept restaurants in China. The company was formerly known as TRICON Global Restaurants, Inc. and changed its name to YUM! Brands, Inc. in May 2002. YUM! Brands, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Sean Williams]
Finally, KFC and Taco Bell owner Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM ) advanced 7% following better-than-expected first-quarter earnings results. No one on Wall Street expected a great quarter to begin with from Yum! Brands given the avian flu scare in China and its previous ordeal concerning antibiotic levels in its chicken, but Yum! still delivered a much smaller profit decline than forecast. Same-store sales in China fell about 20%, yet the company still managed to deliver an adjusted profit of $0.70 per share,�$0.10 ahead of estimates. In the U.S., it relied on 6% same-store sales growth at Taco Bell thanks to its expanded Doritos line of tacos. With the China scare likely a short-term growth inhibitor, Yum! looks poised to outperform over the long run.
- [By Rick Aristotle Munarriz]
Alamy You can never know in advance all the news that will move the market in a given week, but some things you can see coming. From the release of a new video game console to an earnings report out of the world's largest retailer, here are some of the items that will help shape the week that lies ahead on Wall Street. Monday -- Host in the Machine: Most Internet users take web-hosting for granted, but leading websites and apps wouldn't be available if it wasn't for the growing fleet of servers manned by companies specializing in getting websites up and running. Rackspace (RAX) is a market darling among web hosts, and on Monday it will serve up its latest financials. This has become a competitive market as providers aim to host websites and cloud computing solutions. The end result is that analysts see Rackspace growing its revenue by a hearty 15 percent, but they also see profitability declining during the quarter. Tuesday -- KFC in China: Yum! Brands (YUM) is the parent company behind the fast food team of Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and KFC. A surprisingly large portion of Yum! Brands' business in recent years has come from expanding its chicken chain in China. But the market has been challenging lately. Same-store sales for Chinese KFC locations plunged 14 percent in its latest quarter. As a result of its poor performance in the world's most populous nation, Yum! Brands is temporarily offering monthly same-store sales updates. It will offer an update on how October went on Tuesday after the market close. Wednesday -- Panic at the Cisco: It may seem like a long time ago, but there was a brief moment in time -- just before the dot-com bubble popped -- that Cisco (CSCO) commanded the largest market capitalization in the country. The Internet was all the rage with investors, and Cisco was the leading provider of routers, switches, and other networking gear that kept the whole web connected. The past few years have been volatile for Cisco, with the tech bellwet
- [By Dividends4Life]
YUM! Brands Inc. (YUM) operates quick service restaurants in the United States and internationally. September 19th the company increased its quarterly dividend 10% to $0.37 per share. The dividend is payable November 1, 2013 to shareholders of record at the close of business on October 11, 2013. The yield based on the new payout is 2.1%.
- [By Andr茅s Cardenal]
Looking at P/E ratios over the last five years, Chipotle has usually looked more "expensive" than other restaurant chains, be it traditional fast-food giants like McDonald's (NYSE: MCD ) and Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM ) or more dynamic growth players such as Buffalo Wild Wings (NASDAQ: BWLD ) and Panera Bread� (NASDAQ: PNRA ) .
Best Retail Stocks To Invest In Right Now: DSW Inc (DSW)
DSW Inc. (DSW), incorporated on January 20, 1969, is a United States branded footwear and accessories specialty retailer operating 326 shoe stores in 40 states as of January 28, 2012, and dsw.com. DSW has two segments: the DSW segment, which includes the DSW stores and dsw.com sales channels, and the leased business division segment. As of January 28, 2012, it operated 326 DSW stores, dsw.com and leased departments in 261 Stein Mart stores, 74 Gordmans stores and one Frugal Fannie�� store. During the fiscal year ended January 28, 2012 (fiscal 2011), DSW opened 17DSW stores and closed two DSW stores. On May 26, 2011, Retail Ventures, Inc. (RVI) merged with and into DSW MS LLC (Merger Sub), with Merger Sub surviving the Merger and continuing as a wholly owned subsidiary of DSW. In March 2012, the Company announced the opening of its store on 34th Street in Manhattan. In September 2013, DSW Inc announced the opening of a new store in Eatontown, NJ. In October 2013, DSW Inc announced the opening of two new stores in New York City. In October 2013, DSW Inc announced the opening of a new store in Greenville, SC.
The Company offers an assortment of brand name and designer dress, casual and athletic footwear for women and men, as well as accessories through its DSW stores and dsw.com. It also offers kids' shoes exclusively on dsw.com. The Company leases stores, distribution and fulfillment centers and office facilities under various arrangements with related and unrelated parties. DSW also operates leased departments for three retailers in its leased business division segment. As of January 28, 2012, DSW supplied merchandise to 261 Stein Mart stores, 74 Gordmans stores and one Frugal Fannie�� store. During fiscal 2011, DSW added 20 leased departments and ceased operations in 36 leased departments.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Teresa Rivas]
DSW (DSW) was up 2% in after-hours trading, on the company�� increased full year earnings guidance and two-for-one stock split.
The shoe retailer said that it now expects to earn between $3.60 and $3.80 a share, up from a previous range of $3.40 and $3.60 a share and well ahead of the $3.58 a share analysts were expecting.
It also announced that it will hold a special shareholder meeting to seek approval for a 2-for-1 stock split of its common shares.
For the recently ended second quarter, DSW said sales totaled $558 million, below the $568.5 million consensus estimate. Same-store sales rose 4.3%.
- [By jaggom]
The footwear advertise in the U.S. is really divided and there are players like (DSW) and Foot Locker (FL) in the same space.
DSW has been on an expansion drive and is poised to include 30 stores in the U.s. this year. This expansion drive indicates that the organization's designer shoes and accessories are fast picking up fame among target customers and urging it to develop its business. What's more, its wedding shop accumulation sets it separated from peers. Presently, DSW operates 382 stores in 42 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
- [By Rich Duprey]
Management at footwear retailer DSW (NYSE: DSW ) raised guidance 5.5% for the full year to $3.60 to $3.80 per share, and said it would split its Class A stock 2-for-1.
- [By Mike Deane]
Before the opening bell on Tuesday morning, DSW Inc. (DSW) reported its fourth quarter earnings and announced a raise to its quarterly dividend.
DSW’s Earnings in Brief
DSW’s Q4 period from fiscal 2012 contained 14 weeks, so it does not necessarily compare to fiscal 2013′s Q4′s 13-week period; however, when adjusting for the extra week, DSW’s sales for the comparable 13-week period are flat year over year at $572 million. Net income for the quarter came in at $28.1 million, or 30 cents per share, but on an adjusted basis, the figure comes in at $28.8 million, or 31 cents per share. DSW managed to beat EPS estimates of 29 cents, but came in below revenue views of $590.23 million. For FY2014, DSW sees its EPS in the range of $1.80 to $1.95, which is in-line with analysts’ views of $1.86. CEO Commentary
DSW’s�president and CEO, Mike MacDonald, made the following comments: “We marked our fifth consecutive year of double digit earnings growth in 2013, with Adjusted earnings per share of $1.88 compared to the prior year’s results of $1.67.� Effective inventory management and our new systems enabled us to expand full year merchandise margin to 45.1%, which is just 10 bps shy of our record margin in 2011. We were also able to improve on our SG&A rate by 80 bps to 20.4%, which led to our highest ever operating margin of 11.7%.�We have updated our store build out potential for full size units to a range of 500 to 550 stores …”
DSW Raises Dividend by 50%
DSW’s board of directors increased the company’s quarterly dividend payout to 12.75 cents to 18.75 cents, making for an annualized payout of 75 cents.�The dividend will be paid on April�15 to all shareholders on record as of April�4.
Stock Performance
DSW stock was inactive in pre-market trading. YTD, the stock is down 7.22%.
Best Retail Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Inchcape PLC (INCH)
Inchcape plc is a global premium automotive distributor and retailer. The Company provides a professional and financed route to market for automotive manufacturers across five continents. Inchcape acts as a vehicle and parts distributor in 22 of its 26 markets. In these markets, the Company has responsibility for managing the value chain on behalf of a focused portfolio of premium and luxury brand partners. The Company�� responsibilities as a distributor include specifying vehicles to meet local market requirements, organizing logistics from the factory gate through to the retail center, appointing and performance managing the retail network and acting as the national marketer of the brand. The Company derives over two third of its profit from Asia Pacific and emerging markets. Its markets include Hong Kong, Singapore, Russia, Chile, Ethiopia, Australia and the United Kingdom.
Advisors' Opinion: Best Retail Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Arch Therapeutics Inc (ARTH)
Arch Therapeutics, Inc. (Arch), formerly Almah, Inc., incorporated on September 16, 2009, operates as a life science company developing polymers containing peptides intended to form gel-like barriers over wounds to stop or control bleeding. Arch is a medical device company offering an approach to the rapid cessation of bleeding (hemostasis) and control of fluid leakage (sealant) during surgery and trauma care. Arch�� products are in preclinical development. The first product, AC5, is designed for hemostasis in minimally invasive (laparoscopic) and open surgical procedures.
AC5
AC5 is a synthetic peptide consisting of naturally occurring amino acids. When squirted or sprayed onto a wound, AC5 intercalates into the nooks and crannies of the connective tissue where it builds itself into a physical, mechanical structure. That structure provides a barrier to leaking substances, including blood and other bodily fluids, regardless of type of surgery or, based on early data, clotting ability.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By James E. Brumley]
With each passing day, the opportunity Arch Therapeutics Inc. (OTCBB:ARTH) is presenting to investors gets a little bit clearer... as clear as AC5. What's AC5? It's a hemostasis agent. In other words, it stops post-surgical bleeding. It doesn't do the job quite like anything else out there, though, and that's a good thing for current and/or future ARTH shareholders.
- [By John Udovich]
Small cap stocks Derma Sciences Inc (NASDAQ: DSCI), Oculus Innovative Sciences, Inc (NASDAQ: OCLS)�and Arch Therapeutics Inc (OTCBB: ARTH) specialize or have a focus on wound care���a medical problem that has plagued mankind since the dawn of time. After all and think back to our Civil War when disease along with infections resulting from improper wound care probably killed more soldiers than actual battles. Even today, infection after surgery or after receiving a wound or injury of any kind is still a constant threat. And then there is the scaring that can result from any sort of invasive surgery or injury. With those thoughts in mind, here are three small cap wound care stocks trying address these problems:
Best Retail Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Destination XL Group Inc (DXLG)
Destination XL Group, Inc., formerly Casual Male Retail Group, Inc., incorporated in 1976, is a specialty retailer of big and tall men�� apparel with retail operations in the United States and London, England and direct businesses throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Its direct business includes several catalogs and e-commerce sites, which supports its brands and product extensions. As of January 28, 2012, it operated 360 Casual MaleXL retail stores, 60 Casual MaleXL outlet stores, 16 DestinationXL stores and 14 Rochester Clothing stores. During the third quarter of fiscal 2011, the Company launched its new DestinationXL e-commerce site which, similar to its DXL store concept, brings all of its existing websites together, making it easier for its customer to shop the full array of product selection that it have to offer from all of its brands with the ease of one shopping cart. Full product assortments from Casual MaleXL, Rochester Clothing, ShoesXL and LivingXL can be found at www.destinationxl.com. In addition to its e-commerce and catalog businesses, it operated 7 international Web stores serving twenty-six European countries during fiscal 2011.
Casual MaleXL Outlet
The Company�� 60 Casual MaleXL outlet stores, with their supporting direct business, B&T Factory Direct, generates approximately 12% of the Company's business. It offers a private-label program, specifically for its Casual MaleXL outlet stores and its B&T Factory Direct businesses, which is similar to its lifestyle private label lines found in its full-price retail stores but made at lower costs and sold at lower price points for its value-oriented customers. It carries Canyon Ridge, which is similar in style to its Harbor Bay product line, 555 Turnpike, which is targeted towards its younger customers, and Fuse, a contemporary line similar in style to its Synrgy product line Traveler Technology is a traditional line similar to its Gold Series.
Casual MaleXL Retail
Th! e Casual Male business offers a selection of sportswear, dress clothing, footwear and accessories for the big and tall customer at moderate prices. Its full-price Casual Male merchandise is sold through its 360 Casual MaleXL retail stores, Casual MaleXL catalogs and e-commerce site. The majority of the Casual Male merchandise is basic or fashion-neutral items, such as jeans, casual slacks, tee-shirts, polo shirts, dress shirts and suit separates. Casual Male�� clothing has features specifically designed for its customer, such as waist-relaxer pants, stretch belts, zipper ties, wide band socks, neck-relaxer shirts and clothing with comfort-stretch technology and reinforced stress points. In addition to its many private label lines, it carry several well-known brands of merchandise including: Polo Ralph Lauren, Nautica, Geoffrey Beene, Nautica Jeans Co., Levi��, Dockers, Calvin Klein, Reebok and
Rochester Clothing
At January 28, 2012, it operated 14 Rochester Clothing stores, located in major cities throughout the United States and one store in London, EnglandAn important element to the Company's business is its high-end, luxury fashion apparel offered by Rochester Clothing. Its Rochester Clothing stores carry a selection of apparel, at higher price points, from branded manufacturers, such as Polo Ralph Lauren, Robert Graham, Lacoste, Facconable, DKNY, Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Brioni, Cutter and Buck, Tommy Bahama, Tommy Hilfilger, Thomas Dean, Paul & Shark and others. The Rochester customer is able to find a range of apparel from traditional and modern sportswear to suits and accessories.
B&T Factory Direct
The Company�� B&T Factory Direct Web store enhances its existing Casual MaleXL outlet stores. The merchandise offered in its B&T Factory Direct catalogs and on its Website is a selection but similar to the merchandise that can be found in its Casual MaleXL outlet stores. In addition, B&T Factory Direct often features a special clearance o! pportunit! ies of product and provides opportunities of product obtained from Casual MaleXL and Rochester Clothing, offering the B&T Factory Direct customer the ability to purchase branded product.
LivingXL
The LivingXL business, which includes its LivingXL Web store and catalogs, specializes in the selling of selected products. The types of products sold on its Website and in its catalogs for both men and women and include chairs, outdoor accessories, travel accessories, bed and bath and fitness equipment.
ShoesXL
Its ShoesXL Web store carries a line of men�� footwear in extended sizes, offering customers a range of footwear. The assortment on ShoesXL is a reflection of its apparel, with an assortment from moderate to luxury and from casual to formal. ShoesXL has a more than 500 styles of shoes, ranging in sizes from 10M to 18M and widths up to 5E. It carries a number of designer brands including Cole Haan, Allen Edmonds, Timberland, Calvin Klein, Lacoste and Bruno Magli. In addition, it has added the expanded shoe assortments within its existing Casual MaleXL and Rochester Clothing catalogs.
Destination
From the DestinationXL homepage, the customers can also search across all of its brands without having to specifically shop Casual Male versus Rochester. By searching for a shirt in their size, DestinationXL provides them product selection from all three of its concepts.
The Company offers selected Casual Male merchandise on their websites at www.Sears.com and www.Sears.ca. It operates 7 online stores for both its Casual MaleXL and Rochester Clothing brands that penetrate 26 European countries, including the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands. It engages GSI Commerce, Inc. (GSI) for the design, development and operations of the seven online stores. Subsequent to year end, it decided to discontinue its international Web stores including terminating its contract with GSI.
The Comp! any compe! tes with Wal-Mart, J.C. Penney Company Inc, Kohl�� and Pinault-Printemps-Redoute, SA.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Eric Volkman]
Destination XL (NASDAQ: DXLG ) results for the company's Q1 have been released. For the quarter, sales were $93.6 million, a decline from the $95.5 million in the same period the previous year. Net income suffered a steeper fall, dropping to just over $1 million ($0.02 per diluted share) from the Q1 2012 result of $2.3 million ($0.05).
- [By Seth Jayson]
Calling all cash flows
When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Destination XL Group (Nasdaq: DXLG ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.
- [By John Udovich]
As we head into Black Friday and the holiday shopping season, small cap apparel retail stocks Cache, Inc (NASDAQ: CACH), Stein Mart, Inc (NASDAQ: SMRT), Pacific Sunwear of California, Inc (NASDAQ: PSUN) and Destination XL Group Inc (NASDAQ: DXLG) have the distinction of being the best performing small cap apparel retail stocks for this year (according to Finviz.com) with gains of 111.6%, 92.7%, 88.7% and 65.7%, respectively. What are these high flying small caps doing right in the apparel retail space and will they continue delivering a stellar performance for Black Friday and the all important holiday season for�investors? Here is what new and existing investors and traders alike need to know or consider:
Best Retail Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Zumiez Inc (ZUMZ)
Zumiez Inc. (Zumiez) is a specialty retailer of action sports related apparel, footwear, equipment and accessories operating under the Zumiez brand name. As of January 28, 2012, the Company operated 434 stores in the United States and 10 stores in Canada. In addition, the Company operates a Website that sells merchandise online. At January 28, 2012, its stores averaged approximately 2,900 square feet. Its apparel offerings include tops, bottoms, outerwear and accessories, such as caps, bags and backpacks, belts, jewelry and sunglasses. Zumiez�� footwear offerings primarily consist of action sports related athletic shoes and sandals. Its equipment offerings, or hardgoods, include skateboards, snowboards and ancillary gear, such as boots and bindings. The Company also offers a selection of other items, such as miscellaneous novelties.
The Company supplements its merchandise assortment with a select offering of private label products across many of its apparel product categories. During the fiscal year ended January 28, 2012 (fiscal 2011), its private label merchandise represented 17.7% of the Company�� net sales. The Company sources its private label merchandise from foreign manufacturers worldwide.
The Company competes with Abercrombie & Fitch, Aeropostale, American Apparel, American Eagle Outfitters, Billabong, CCS, Forever 21, Hollister, Hot Topic, Old Navy, Pacific Sunwear of California, The Buckle, Wet Seal, Tilly��, Urban Outfitters, Big 5 Sporting Goods, Dick�� Sporting Goods, Sport Chalet and The Sports Authority.
Advisors' Opinion:
REUTERS