BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com BloggingStocks http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/media/feedlogo.gif BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Retailers Push for Amazon Sales Tax, but Should Costco Care?]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2011/03/30/retailers-push-for-amazon-sales-tax-but-should-costco-care/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2011/03/30/retailers-push-for-amazon-sales-tax-but-should-costco-care/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2011/03/30/retailers-push-for-amazon-sales-tax-but-should-costco-care/#commentsFiled under: ,

Costco logoRetailers like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are campaigning to force Amazon.com (AMZN) to pay sales taxes. While these retailers headline the effort and would certainly gain from any such decision, other large players like Costco (COST) have (relatively) flown under the radar. Could Costco see the same benefit? Costco traditionally competes with warehouse club operators like BJ's Wholesale Club (BJ) and Sam's Club, in addition to companies like Walmart, Best Buy (BBY) and Target.

Our price estimate for Costco's stock stands at $64.67, a roughly 10% discount to the stock's current market price.

Continue reading Retailers Push for Amazon Sales Tax, but Should Costco Care?

Retailers Push for Amazon Sales Tax, but Should Costco Care? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Amazon.comAMZNCostCostcointhenewsWed, 30 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Costco Surging Internationally, Keeping Ahead of the Pack in the U.S.]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2011/03/10/costco-surging-internationally-keeping-ahead-of-the-pack-in-the/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2011/03/10/costco-surging-internationally-keeping-ahead-of-the-pack-in-the/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2011/03/10/costco-surging-internationally-keeping-ahead-of-the-pack-in-the/#commentsFiled under: ,

CostcoCostco (COST) traditionally competes with warehouse club operators including BJ's Wholesale Club (BJ) and Sam's Club, in addition to large retailers like Walmart (WMT), Best Buy (BBY) and Target (TGT). The retailer operates a warehouse club model wherein it charges annual membership fees to customers and, in turn, offers deep discounts on selected merchandise.

The company recently released its earnings and based on continued strength in international sales and controlled capital expenditures, we have updated our price estimate to $64.67. This price estimate stands roughly 10% below market price.

Continue reading Costco Surging Internationally, Keeping Ahead of the Pack in the U.S.

Costco Surging Internationally, Keeping Ahead of the Pack in the U.S. originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>COSTCostcoThu, 10 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Sam's Club Could Perk Up Walmart Sales If It Was More Like Costco]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2011/03/03/sams-club-could-perk-up-walmart-sales-if-it-was-more-like-costc/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2011/03/03/sams-club-could-perk-up-walmart-sales-if-it-was-more-like-costc/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2011/03/03/sams-club-could-perk-up-walmart-sales-if-it-was-more-like-costc/#commentsFiled under:

Sam's Club logoWalmart (WMT) is the world's largest retailer, competing with companies like Target (TGT), Costco (COST), Amazon.com (AMZN) and Best Buy (BBY). The company recently released its earnings for last quarter and we have updated our price estimate to $70.75, which implies a 30% premium to the market price.

One of the outcomes in the earnings was continued improvements in Sam's Club's results. Sam's Club is a warehouse club that charges a membership fee to its customers and gives them an opportunity to buy goods at lowest prices in the market. It offers bulk displays of brand name merchandise, including hard goods, some soft goods, commercial-sized grocery items, and selected private-label items under the "Member' Mark", "Bakers & Chefs" and "Sam's Club" brands in a warehouse club format.

Continue reading Sam's Club Could Perk Up Walmart Sales If It Was More Like Costco

Sam's Club Could Perk Up Walmart Sales If It Was More Like Costco originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>COSTCostcofeaturedSams ClubWal-MartWalmartWMTThu, 03 Mar 2011 12:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Costco Reports Growth in Earnings, But Is Stock a Buy?]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2011/03/02/costco-reports-growth-in-earnings-but-is-stock-a-buy/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2011/03/02/costco-reports-growth-in-earnings-but-is-stock-a-buy/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2011/03/02/costco-reports-growth-in-earnings-but-is-stock-a-buy/#commentsFiled under: ,

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) issued its fiscal second-quarter report this morning, but it looks as if the market isn't being supportive of the numbers. At the time of this writing, shares of the warehouse club were off by 3.1% to $71.30. Volume was significant.

In one sense, the bottom-line performance was good, and in another sense, it was mediocre. Here's the good: according to the Associated Press, net profit rose twelve pennies to 79 cents per share. Here's the mediocre: that figure only succeeded in matching Wall Street's projection.

Continue reading Costco Reports Growth in Earnings, But Is Stock a Buy?

Costco Reports Growth in Earnings, But Is Stock a Buy? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>COSTcostcoCostco earningsinthenewsretailWed, 02 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[U.S. Stock Futures Up, Oil Rises Above $100 Per Barrel]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2011/03/02/u-s-stock-futures-up-oil-rises-above-100-per-barrel/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2011/03/02/u-s-stock-futures-up-oil-rises-above-100-per-barrel/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2011/03/02/u-s-stock-futures-up-oil-rises-above-100-per-barrel/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

U.S. stock futures are higher Wednesday morning as investors await labor market data. Crude oil traded above $100 a barrel. Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 27 points to 12,049.00 and futures on the S&P 500 stock index gained 3.6 points to 1,304.70. Nasdaq 100 futures gained 5.75 points to 2,317.25.

The blue-chip Dow index dropped 1.38% to close at 12,058 on Tuesday.

After the opening bell, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is scheduled to present a monetary policy report to the U.S. House Financial Services Committee. The Fed's Beige Book will be released at 2 p.m. ET.

Costco Wholesale (COST) reported Q2 EPS of 79 cents, matching analysts expectations. Costco reported Q2 revenue of $20.88 million, versus the consensus of $20.54 billion. The wholesaler reported a 7% rise in its Q2 same-store sales.

Continue reading U.S. Stock Futures Up, Oil Rises Above $100 Per Barrel

U.S. Stock Futures Up, Oil Rises Above $100 Per Barrel originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>costcostcofeaturedMcDermottmdrpremarketsplsstaplesWed, 02 Mar 2011 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Holiday Sales Falling Short of Expectations]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2011/01/06/holiday-sales-fall-short-of-expectations/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2011/01/06/holiday-sales-fall-short-of-expectations/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2011/01/06/holiday-sales-fall-short-of-expectations/#commentsFiled under: ,

holdiay shoppingDecember is not shaping up to have been the retail windfall that many experts predicted, which may be setting up a rather scary situation. Don't worry folks, the experts are going to blame the poor December revenue on different factors, including strong November sales taking away from December and post-Christmas sales suffering from the Northeast blizzard.

First things first, not all retailers have reported their results -- a majority of heavy hitters will report today. Nevertheless, the results are being described as "slow and steady" rather than the expected blowout holiday shopping season. For example, Costco (COST) reported sales that increased 6%. This is positive data, unfortunately expectations called for an increase of 6.2%. Target (TGT) saw sales increase 0.9%, well short of the expected 4%. Of course sales were better at Macy's (M), right? I mean they are adding jobs and all. Wrong, sales did increase (3.9%) but missed expectations (4.5%).

Continue reading Holiday Sales Falling Short of Expectations

Holiday Sales Falling Short of Expectations originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>COSTCostcoeconomic recoveryeconomyholiday salesinthenewsMacysretailretail salesTargetTGTThu, 06 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Costco's Stock Stable After Earnings News]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/12/08/costcos-stock-stable-after-earnings-news/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/12/08/costcos-stock-stable-after-earnings-news/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/12/08/costcos-stock-stable-after-earnings-news/#commentsFiled under: ,

At the time of this writing, shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) weren't receiving a lot of interest after the release of fiscal Q1 numbers. They were down 0.5% to $69.31. Volume was below average (although it might be above average by the time the bell rings).

Seems like history is repeating itself. A check of my article on the company's fiscal fourth-quarter report shows that the market wasn't making things exciting for the stock back then either.

Continue reading Costco's Stock Stable After Earnings News

Costco's Stock Stable After Earnings News originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 08 Dec 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>COSTcostcoCostco earningsinthenewsretailWed, 08 Dec 2010 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Analyst Calls: COST, HON, NFLX, NOC, PCP, RHT, TGT, TXT, WMT ...]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/11/23/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/11/23/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/11/23/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

Analyst Upgrades

  • Piper Jaffray upgraded Red Hat (RHT) to overweight from neutral.
  • Honeywell (HON) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Cowen.
  • Regal-Beloit (RBC) and Actuant (ATU) were upgraded to buy from hold at Jefferies.
  • RW Baird upgraded MedAssets (MDAS) to outperform from neutral.
  • Savvis (SVVS) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at William Blair.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: COST, HON, NFLX, NOC, PCP, RHT, TGT, TXT, WMT ...

Analyst Calls: COST, HON, NFLX, NOC, PCP, RHT, TGT, TXT, WMT ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>analyst upgradesATUBarnesCOSTCostcoDaVitadowngradesDVAFLOGBCIGPROHONHoneywellHUB.BinitiationsinthenewsJack HenryJKHYMDASMSCMSMNetflixNFLXNOCNorthrop GrummanPCPRBCRed HatRHTSPRSVVSTargetTCKTextronTGTTXTWalmartWMTTue, 23 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Analyst Calls: ALU, BIG, COST, DGW, DOW, FO, GE, HON, MGM, MYGN, MON ...]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/10/13/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/10/13/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/10/13/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

Analyst Upgrades

  • Piper Jaffray upgraded Duoyuan Global Water (DGW) to neutral from underweight, citing the potential for positive fundamental news flow through the end of the year, and upped its price target to $16 from $9.
  • Jefferies upgraded Alcatel-Lucent (ALU) to buy from underperform, expecting a benefit from a significant ramp in EVDO software sales as mobile data growth accelerates.
  • Myriad Genetics (MYGN) was upgraded at RBC Capital to outperform from sector perform with a $23 price target based on valuation and potential to be acquired.
  • Goldman upgraded Mohawk (MHK) to neutral from sell with a $53 price target.
  • Smithfield Foods (SFD) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at BMO capital with a $21 target.
  • Priceline.com (PCLN) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Morgan Keegan.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ALU, BIG, COST, DGW, DOW, FO, GE, HON, MGM, MYGN, MON ...

Analyst Calls: ALU, BIG, COST, DGW, DOW, FO, GE, HON, MGM, MYGN, MON ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AAIAirTranAlcatel-LucentALUanalyst upgradesBIGBig LotsCOSTCostcoDGWDOWdowngradesFLIRFOGEGeneral ElectricHONHoneywellinitiationsinthenewsKOGMGMMHKMONMonsantoMYGNMyriad GeneticsPCLNPriceline.comSFDSmithfield FoodsWITWed, 13 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Analyst Calls: ACLI, ADM, ANF, BLK, BP, COST, EMC, FO, NE, PEET, UNFI ...]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/10/11/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/10/11/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/10/11/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Analyst Upgrades

  • Deutsche Bank upgraded EMC (EMC) to buy from hold after channel checks indicated storage demand remains solid. The firm sees potential upside in 2011 from the company's new products and upped its target for shares to $25 from $20.
  • BB&T upgraded American Commercial (ACLI) to buy with a $50 target based on pricing leverage and cost reductions.
  • Argus upgraded Abercrombie (ANF) to buy with a $52 target based on accelerating comps.
  • PerkinElmer (PKI) was upgraded to equal weight from underweight at Barclays.
  • Valeant (VRX) was upgraded to market perform from underperform at Wells Fargo with a $26 to $28 valuation range.
  • Blackrock (BLK) was upgraded to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ACLI, ADM, ANF, BLK, BP, COST, EMC, FO, NE, PEET, UNFI ...

Analyst Calls: ACLI, ADM, ANF, BLK, BP, COST, EMC, FO, NE, PEET, UNFI ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AbercrombieACLIADManalyst upgradesANFBlackrockBLKBPCEVACOSTCostcodowngradesEMCFOFortune BrandsHealthSouthHLSHSinitiationsinthenewsMTWNEPEETPerkinElmerPKIUNFIVLCCFVRXMon, 11 Oct 2010 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Analyst Calls: A, ARST, BAC, C, COST, CRM, DPS, GS, JPM, MS, MTB, VOD ...]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/10/07/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/10/07/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/10/07/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Analyst Upgrades

  • Piper Jaffray upgraded Salesforce.com (CRM) to overweight from neutral, citing valuation following the recent sell-off and strong business trends. The firm has a $115 price target for shares.
  • Keefe Bruyette upgraded M&T Bank (MTB) to market perform from underperform on valuation after AIB sold its stake in the company. The firm has a $72 price target for shares.
  • Jefferies upgraded OGE Energy (OGE) to buy from hold following the announcement that ArcLight will purchase 9.9% of OGE's interest in Enogex for $183M and believes this deal highlights the hidden value associated with Enogex. The firm raised its price target to $51.50 from $43.
  • Thomas & Betts (TNB) was upgraded to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.
  • Bayer (BAYRY) was upgraded to buy from neutral at UBS.
  • Texas Roadhouse (TXRH) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Baird.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: A, ARST, BAC, C, COST, CRM, DPS, GS, JPM, MS, MTB, VOD ...

Analyst Calls: A, ARST, BAC, C, COST, CRM, DPS, GS, JPM, MS, MTB, VOD ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 07 Oct 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AAgilentanalyst upgradesArcSightARSTAYIBACBank of AmericaBank of New YorkBayerBAYRYBENBKBlackrockBLKCCHKPCitigroupCOSTCostcoCRMdowngradesDPSDr PepperFMSGGBGoldman SachsGSHPHPQinitiationsinthenewsJPMJPMorganKIRKKirklandsMorgan StanleyMSMTBNorthern TrustNTRSOGEsalesforce.comTNBTXRHVODVodafoneThu, 07 Oct 2010 11:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Costco Shares Not Doing Much After Earnings Report]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/10/06/costco-shares-not-doing-much-after-earnings-report/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/10/06/costco-shares-not-doing-much-after-earnings-report/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/10/06/costco-shares-not-doing-much-after-earnings-report/#commentsFiled under: ,

Costco (COST), a warehouse club whose competitive colleagues include BJ's (BJ) and Wal-Mart (WMT), isn't seeing much action this afternoon. At the time of this writing, its shares were up only 0.03% to $64.68. Big yawn. Volume, however, is quite strong.

The company's chart shows a stock that just recently decided to break out of some sideways action and enter into rally mode. Will it continue? Or, should today's flat action be taken as an indicator that maybe it's time to sell out and check in on the equity at a later date?

Continue reading Costco Shares Not Doing Much After Earnings Report

Costco Shares Not Doing Much After Earnings Report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 06 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bjsCOSTcostcointhenewsretailwal-martwarehouse clubsWMTWed, 06 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Analyst Calls: ADBE, AXP, BAX, COST, DLB, FDX, HOT, NOK, NVS, TWX ...]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/09/22/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/09/22/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/09/22/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Analyst Upgrades

  • Soleil upgraded Baxter (BAX) to buy from hold on expectations the company will benefit from supply disruptions at privately-held plasma manufacturer Octapharma. The firm raised its price target for shares to $56 from $45.
  • Deutsche Bank upgraded Dolby (DLB) to buy from hold, citing valuation following the recent underperformance of shares. The firm upped its price target to $75 from $70.
  • Bernstein upgraded Alexion (ALXN) to outperform from market perform based on increased Soliris forecasts for PNH and potential in aHUS. The firm also raised its price target to $75 from $60.
  • Agrium (AGU) was upgraded to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
  • Roche (RHHBY) was upgraded to conviction buy from neutral at Goldman.
  • BMO Capital upgraded Energizer (ENR) to outperform from market perform.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ADBE, AXP, BAX, COST, DLB, FDX, HOT, NOK, NVS, TWX ...

Analyst Calls: ADBE, AXP, BAX, COST, DLB, FDX, HOT, NOK, NVS, TWX ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ADBEAdobeAGUALXNAmerican Expressanalyst upgradesAXPBAXBaxterCAVMCLUCOSTCostcoDLBDolbydowngradesENRFDXFedExHOTinitiationsinthenewsNOKNokiaNovartisNVSOracleORCLRHHBYSOHUStarwoodSTDTime WarnerTWXUPSWed, 22 Sep 2010 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Analyst Calls: BA, COST, DELL, GD, INTC, LVS, MGM, PCLN, TWX, V, VIA ...]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/09/08/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/09/08/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/09/08/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Analyst Upgrades

  • Goldman upgraded Costco (COST) to buy from neutral based on valuation, improving fundamentals and potential catalysts. The firm raised its price target to $68 from $62.
  • Soleil upgraded MGM Resorts (MGM) to buy from hold, citing valuation, easing balance sheet concerns and a multiyear convention recovery. The firm upped its target for shares to $14 from $13. Note, Soleil also downgraded Las Vegas Sands (LVS) to hold from buy.
  • Piper Jaffray upgraded Phillips-Van Heusen (PVH) to overweight from neutral with a $59 price target following the company's better-than-expected Q2 results.
  • Dell (DELL) was upgraded to buy from outperform at CLSA.
  • CommScope (CTV) was upgraded to buy from neutral at UBS.
  • EnCana (ECA) was upgraded to sector outperformer from sector performer at CIBC.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BA, COST, DELL, GD, INTC, LVS, MGM, PCLN, TWX, V, VIA ...

Analyst Calls: BA, COST, DELL, GD, INTC, LVS, MGM, PCLN, TWX, V, VIA ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>analyst upgradesBABAXBoeingCFCOSTCostcoCTVDELLDKSdowngradesECAGDHONHoneywellinitiationsINTCIntelinthenewsITWLMTLockheed MartinLVSMAAMGMPCLNPVHTime WarnerTWXVVIAViacomVisaWLTWed, 08 Sep 2010 11:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Despite Upgrade, Costco Faces Resistance]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/07/09/costco-upgrade/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/07/09/costco-upgrade/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/07/09/costco-upgrade/#commentsFiled under: ,

Friday morning, UBS issued an upgrade to Costco Wholesale (COST), elevating the warehouse retailer to buy from neutral.

The upgrade was made based on valuation, as UBS feels that recent weakness in the stock price offers a good entry point. In fact, UBS notes that Costco has "one of the world's best retail business models." The brokerage noted that removing calendar shifts and gas sales from Costco's comparable sales figures shows an "improving trend in all categories and in all U.S. regions."

Continue reading Despite Upgrade, Costco Faces Resistance

Despite Upgrade, Costco Faces Resistance originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>COSTcostcointhenewstechnical analysisupgradesFri, 09 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Analyst Calls: AMD, BBY, COST, INTC, MRVL, MYGN, NSC, RDS.A, TXN, V ...]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/07/09/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/07/09/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/07/09/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

Analyst Upgrades

  • JPMorgan upgraded Norfolk Southern (NSC) to overweight from neutral, citing the company's leverage to coal and position relative to peers. The firm has a $68 price target for shares.
  • Benchmark upgraded Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A) to hold from sell based on a more favorable earnings outlook and reduced dividend risk.
  • UBS upgraded Costco (COST) to buy from neutral based on valuation. The firm raised its price target to $63 from $62.
  • Visa (V) was upgraded to gonviction buy from buy at Goldman.
  • KLA-Tencor (KLAC) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
  • Texas Instruments (TXN) was upgraded to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AMD, BBY, COST, INTC, MRVL, MYGN, NSC, RDS.A, TXN, V ...

Analyst Calls: AMD, BBY, COST, INTC, MRVL, MYGN, NSC, RDS.A, TXN, V ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AMDanalyst upgradesASXATHRBBYBest BuyBEZCHDXCNICNXTCOSTCostcodowngradesEWEXPEinitiationsINTCIntelinthenewsKLACMPWRMYGNNorfolk SouthernNSCPTRDS.ASRCLTSNTXNVVisaFri, 09 Jul 2010 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Sam's Club Enters World of Small-Business Finance]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/07/07/sams-club-loans/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/07/07/sams-club-loans/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/07/07/sams-club-loans/#commentsFiled under: ,

Walmart's (WMT) Sam's Club chain is launching a new initiative that is bound to steal a few customer away from rival Costco Wholesale (COST). It is teaming up with Superior Financial Group to offer loans of up to $25,000 to its small business members.

Now small business owners will be able to get their office supplies, their break room treats and their financing in one stop.

The credit markets have been tight since the financial crisis of 2008, and it has been especially difficult for small businesses to obtain financing -- which makes this a ripe market for Sam's Club to dive into. The program will focus on businesses owned by minorities, women and veterans.

Continue reading Sam's Club Enters World of Small-Business Finance

Sam's Club Enters World of Small-Business Finance originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>costcostcofeaturedinthenewsSams Clubwal-martwmtWed, 07 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Kroger: Buy or Sell After Q1 News?]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/06/17/kroger-buy-or-sell-after-q1-news/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/06/17/kroger-buy-or-sell-after-q1-news/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/06/17/kroger-buy-or-sell-after-q1-news/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Supermarket chain The Kroger Co. (KR), whose competitors include Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) and Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT), was up over 3% at the time of this writing. At a price of $20.71, it was roughly four bucks under the 52-week high of $24.80. The volume was pretty active, indicating some conviction behind the trade. The catalyst was a Q1 earnings report. What should we make of the news?

Well, according to this item, the company competently beat the projections. Kroger made 58 cents per share; Wall Street was betting on 54 cents per share. But, investors won't enjoy the following information: last year at this time, the business earned 66 cents per share. Therefore, we have a decline in the bottom line to contend with.

Continue reading Kroger: Buy or Sell After Q1 News?

Kroger: Buy or Sell After Q1 News? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 17 Jun 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>COSTcostcointhenewsKRkrogersupermarketwal-martWMTThu, 17 Jun 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Earnings Highlights: AutoZone, Borders, Campbell, Costco, Heinz, J. Crew, TiVo ...]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/05/29/earnings-highlights-autozone-borders-campbell-costco-heinz/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/05/29/earnings-highlights-autozone-borders-campbell-costco-heinz/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/05/29/earnings-highlights-autozone-borders-campbell-costco-heinz/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Below are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage on BloggingStocks. Click through to the original posts for more details.

  • Ann Taylor Stores Corp. (ANN) shares rallied on heavy volume after it posted better-than-expected Q1 earnings.
  • AutoZone Inc. (AZO) Q3 earnings easily beat consensus expectations and same-store sales rose sharply.
  • Borders Group Inc. (BGP) posted a wider operating loss, decreasing gross margin, and a same-store sales decline.
  • Campbell Soup Co. (CPB) posted strong Q3 results and offered guidance, boosting shares on a down-market day.
  • Costco Wholesale Corp. (COST) posted better-than-expected Q3 results, due in part to a surge in membership sales.

Continue reading Earnings Highlights: AutoZone, Borders, Campbell, Costco, Heinz, J. Crew, TiVo ...

Earnings Highlights: AutoZone, Borders, Campbell, Costco, Heinz, J. Crew, TiVo ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 29 May 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ANNAnn TaylorAutoZoneAZOBGPBordersCampbellCOSTCostcoCPBHeinzHNZJ CrewJambaJCGJMBANetAppNovellNOVLNTAPTIVOYGEYingliSat, 29 May 2010 11:40:00 EST<![CDATA[The Week in Preview: A Look at Costco, AutoZone, Canadian Banks, and more]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/05/23/preview-costco-autozone-canadian-banks-trina-solar/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/05/23/preview-costco-autozone-canadian-banks-trina-solar/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/05/23/preview-costco-autozone-canadian-banks-trina-solar/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Both Walmart (WMT) and BJ's Wholesale Club (BJ) reported strong quarterly results last week, suggesting that discount retailers are still doing well even as the economy seems to be coming around. This week, Costco (COST) and Big Lots (BIG) take their turns in the earnings spotlight, and analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect a strong showing from them as well.

And we'll round out this preview of the coming week with a look at expectations for AutoZone (AZO), Canada's big banks, and Trina Solar (TSL).

Continue reading The Week in Preview: A Look at Costco, AutoZone, Canadian Banks, and more

The Week in Preview: A Look at Costco, AutoZone, Canadian Banks, and more originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 23 May 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AutozoneAZOBank of MontrealBIGBig LotsBMOCanadian Imperial BankCMCostcoearnings expectationsfeaturedRoyal Bank of CanadaRYTDToronto DominionTrina SolarTSLSun, 23 May 2010 12:30:00 EST