Barnes & Noble (BKS) April put option volatility is at 64, July is at 61, above its 26-week average of 49, according to Track Data, suggesting larger price movement.

CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) is up 20% to an eight-month high; S&P 500 closed down 1.87%.

Volatility Monitor: CBOE DJ Industrial Average Index (DJX) is up 3.2% to 21.8.

NASDAQ (NDX) is up 3.4% to 26.7; S&P 100 Index (OEX) is up 3.3% to 23.7, according to IVolatility.

Options Update is by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Options Update: Barnes & Noble Volatility Elevated, Shares at Historic Lows originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Barnes & Noble (BKS) closed at $22.50. BKS is expected to report Q2 EPS on November 24. Ron Burkle, the private equity investor, doubled his stake in Barnes & Noble to 17% from 8%. BKS is expected to give its outlook of its digital book reader, Nook, during EPS conference call. December option implied volatility is at 54, January is at 51; versus its 26-week average of 48, according to Track Data, suggesting larger near term price movement.

Ford (F) closed at $8.98. Ford December option implied volatility is at 42, January is at 43; below its 26-week average of 63, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement.

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

Options Update: Barnes & Noble volatility up into EPS and Nook outlook originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Insider buying lifts Barnes & Noble (BKS)

Insider buying lifts Barnes & Noble (BKS) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If Amazon (AMZN) was comfortable with its spot atop the e-reader market, it just got a wakeup call from Barnes & Noble (BKS). The brick-and-mortar book retailer's e-reader, the Nook, which hasn't even hit stores yet, is in pre-order nirvana right now. The first run for the Nook occurred at the end of October (the product was introduced on October 20). These buyers were told the reader would ship on November 30. High demand resulted in backorders, so the next wave of pre-orders was scheduled to ship on December 7. Now, a third group will have to wait until December 11.

This product is on fire, and it still isn't even on shelves yet.

Mary Ellen Keating, a spokeswoman for Barnes & Noble wouldn't reveal how many of these devices have been pre-ordered, but she did say, "Demand for the product in our stores and online has surpassed our expectations." She also noted, "We are working hard to meet demand for the holidays."

Continue reading Barnes & Noble's Nook already makes a splash

Barnes & Noble's Nook already makes a splash originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Barnes & Noble announces one heck of a related-party transaction originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This is not an abstraction: buildings large and small are showing gaping vacancies. Storefronts are empty. Entire buildings sit waiting to be occupied. In Manhattan, retail vacancies have reached their highest rates since 2001. For the second quarter of this year, vacancies hit the absurd height of 12.4%, thanks to unemployment trends that won't quit and consumers reluctant to pry open their wallets.

Retailers are being hit just like the residential market.

Continue reading Commercial real estate vacancies surge above 12% in Manhattan

Commercial real estate vacancies surge above 12% in Manhattan originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Last spring, CEO Leonard Riggio of Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS) purchased almost $50 million-worth of his company's stock between $27-29.50; today, it languishes on the remainder table at $17.56," says Mark Skousen.

In his income-oriented speciality service, High Income Alert, the advisor says, "Now, a billionaire has also taken a stake." Here's the advisor's update.

"Barnes & Noble is a worthy addition to our model portfolio. Trading well below the level that the CEO purchased shares, we consider the stock a bargain.

"Barnes & Noble owns the nation's largest chain of bookstores, with 800 stores in 50 states. It also owns one of the Web's most-visited Web sites, bn.com. Between its stores and Web site, Barnes and Noble sells more than 300 million books a year.

Continue reading Barnes & Noble (BKS): Big buyers offer a bullish read

Barnes & Noble (BKS): Big buyers offer a bullish read originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 30 Jan 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

One theory about a recession is that people will not buy cars or refrigerators, but they will buy beer, razors, soap and books. If you can't ride around in a new Chevy, at least you can read about someone who is.

That theory went out the window, at least in part, when Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS) said its same-store sales were down -- a lot.

Last year, the nation's largest book seller made a little money in the quarter ending November 1. It was a very little, $4.4 million. This year, BKS lost $18.4 billion as same-store sales fell 7.4%. Barnes & Noble also dropped its forecast for the next quarter.

The BKS earnings news is particularly bad as the holiday season begins. Companies that sell discretionary items for under $30 have probably hoped that they would benefit, perhaps only modestly, from consumers looking for relatively cheap gifts for grandpa and the kids.

Even cheap is looking expensive this holiday. Although there is Barnes & Noble stock. It is only $12.25 a share.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 24/7 Wall St.

The economy's so bad, people won't even buy books originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS), a bookseller that competes with Borders Group (NYSE: BGP), Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), and retailers that stock books such as Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT), did not do well during the third quarter. Total sales decreased over 4%. A GAAP loss of $0.34 per share was reported versus a GAAP profit of $0.07 per share in the year-ago period. On an adjusted basis, the loss of $0.21 per share missed the call by $0.05, according to this source.

Okay, is it me, or do these numbers basically broadcast loud and clear that Barnes & Noble is not worth one penny of your investment capital? Besides the above, same-store sales took a big dive of 7.4%. That should be the last nail in the coffin of the current Barnes & Noble story, one that reads like a Stephen King novel. Actually, though, it isn't. Another nail to add would be the fact that guidance has been adjusted lower by management. Now, according to CEO Steve Riggio, gross margins are doing okay. I'll skip that chapter, though, as there isn't much substance to it. Who cares about the gross margin at this point. With traffic down and probably due to get worse, a positive tale of the gross margin isn't going to make me want to buy Barnes & Noble as a value play.

Continue reading Barnes & Noble's Q3: By my read, you should avoid this stock

Barnes & Noble's Q3: By my read, you should avoid this stock originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• According to Yahoo! Inc (NASDAQ: YHOO), the Wall Street Journal reported that a severance plan investor Carl Icahn said is "excessively expensive" would come into play if Icahn is successful in his plan to take control of the company's board; Yahoo! maintained that the plan is structured to prevent Yahoo! from altering or dismantling it while under a proxy challenge.
• The Financial Times reported that Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc (NYSE: LEH) almost reached a strategic deal with a group of Korean financial institutions as part of its recent capital raising initiative, and the investment bank may still sign an agreement with the Korean companies this year, inside sources said.
• According to the Financial Times, Merrill Lynch & Co Inc (NYSE: MER), UBS AG (NYSE: UBS) and Citigroup Incorporated (NYSE: C), which are most exposed to MBIA Inc (NYSE: MBI) and Ambac Financial Group Inc (NYSE: ABK), are facing further write downs of up to $10B after the bond insurers lost the battle to keep their triple A credit ratings in tact.
• A source familiar with the matter told dealReporter that Barnes & Noble Inc (NYSE: BKS) is conducting due diligence, but has not established whether it will competitively bid for Borders Group Inc (NYSE: BGP). Should Barnes & Noble indicate real interest, the biding process could be delayed, the source said.

• The Detroit News reported that Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F), in an effort to keep up with changing consumer demand in the U.S., is assembling a plan that will shift entire truck plants to car production.

Newspaper wrap-up: Lehman almost raised capital from Korean companies originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Borders (BGP) launches its own website - looks desperate! originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 27 May 2008 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Barnes & Nobles and Borders - perfect together? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 21 May 2008 11:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When I go to a Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS) or a Borders (NYSE: BGP) store, I really can't tell much of a difference. That's not a bad thing - at least for me. Hey, I have lots of choices - and not just books.

But for investors, the situation is a problem. So, instead of fighting, why not B&N and Borders join forces?

Well, according to the Wall Street Journal [a paid publication], there are signs of a possible deal as B&N has put together a team to explore the option.

However, there is a big hurdle: antitrust regulators. The federal government will scrutinize the deal heavily given that Barnes & Noble is #1 and Borders is #2 in the US marketplace.

Barnes & Noble will argue that the market is much different now with online operators like Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN).

And timing is another key. After all, if there's a change in the White House, antitrust enforcement is likely to get tougher.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He also operates MergerBook.com.

Barnes & Noble to book a buyout deal for Borders? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 21 May 2008 09:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Lowe's Companies (NYSE: LOW) to report Q1 earnings; conference call scheduled for 9:00am.
• Campbell Soup Company (NYSE: CPB) to report Q3 earnings; Conference call scheduled for 10:00am.

• Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Global Internet Freedom & Corporate Responsibilty at 10:00am. Appearing: Google, Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG), Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) and Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO).
• Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) to report Q4 earnings; conference call scheduled for 8:00am.
• Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE: HPQ) to report Q2 earnings; conference call scheduled for 5:00pm.

Continue reading Market highlights for next week: Lowe's, Hewlett-Packard reporting earnings

Market highlights for next week: Lowe's, Hewlett-Packard reporting earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 16 May 2008 17:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Add another log to the LBO rumor fire, because the New York Times's DealBook reports that Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE:BKS) is a ripe candidate to be taken private. Credit Suisse analyst Gary Balter has raised his rating to "outperform" from "underperform," citing the book retailer as "one of the best positioned LBO-type candidates in our universe."

He thinks B&N's shares look pretty cheap, based on the company's consistent cash flow, and promising near-term rate of return.

Word has also surfaced that B&N rival Borders Group, Inc. (NYSE:BGP) could also be headed for an LBO, even though it's less likely. Balter has lowered his rating on BGP to "neutral" from "outperform," presumably due to valuation; the stock's had a nice 33% upside since July.

Buyout speculation has been swirling ever since Pershing Square Capital took positions in both booksmiths. Balter thinks, however, that even though Borders could rebound from its disappointing earnings news last month, B&N has a "better risk/reward level."

B&N and Borders: Could big-box booksellers be bought out? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 06 Dec 2006 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.