RadioShack tops estimates, but market not impressed


Electronics retailer RadioShack Corporation (NYSE: RSH) sold off on Monday. The market wasn't impressed by the earnings beat that management delivered. According to Reuters, the 39 cents per share that RadioShack booked for the second quarter went 10 cents beyond analyst expectations.

That sounds pretty good on the surface. And, to be honest, I bet shares of RadioShack would have rallied had conditions been different. The major indexes have seen a lot of bullish action as we all know, and I think a fair amount of stocks now might run the risk of selling off on a decent bottom-line report just because of worries in the system. When you think about it, this rally has to end some time. And if you take a look at RadioShack's stock performance since early March, you have to wonder how much more buying interest is left at this point.


But let's not forget that RadioShack has legitimate growth problems. Indeed, total net sales dipped almost 3%, according to the press release, and comps went down 4%. That isn't a healthy situation for a retailer.

I will say this, though: the business seems to be doing okay when it comes to cash flow. For the six-month period, RadioShack saw an increase in cash generated from operations. Unfortunately, the company also experienced a decrease in its gross margin, brought on by an unfavorable product mix.

I would not buy RadioShack here. Like I said at the beginning, shares were down after the data -- they closed lower by well over 6% on Monday on very heavy volume. If I were looking to get into an electronics retailer, I would probably look at Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE: BBY) before all other competitors. If you happen to have a profit in a RadioShack position, I would consider booking it. Hey, maybe the stock will rise after a pause, but perhaps taking some profit now would be the safest way to play things.

Disclosure: I don't own any company mentioned; positions can change without notice.

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Last updated: February 10, 2012: 02:59 PM

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