The calendar quarter winds down this week and quarterly reports are due from Apollo Group (APOL), CarMax (KMX), Global Payments (GPN), Krispy Kreme (KKD), Lennar (LEN) and McCormick (MKC). But analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters have high hopes for results from fertilizer and animal feed maker Mosaic (MOS), apparel maker Phillips Van Heusen (PVH) and discount retailer Family Dollar (FDO). So here's a look at what they anticipate from these three companies.

Mosaic

During its fiscal second quarter, Cargill agreed to distribute its stake in Mosaic, and Mosaic also said it would redeem senior notes. Analysts anticipate that the Minnesota-based potash producer will report per-share earnings of $1.07, a jump of 53.3% from the same quarter of last year. Mosaic also is expected to post revenue of $2.4 billion for the three months that ended in February. That's a 35.9% rise from a year earlier.

Continue reading Week in Preview: Mosaic, Family Dollar Earnings and March Unemployment Rate

Week in Preview: Mosaic, Family Dollar Earnings and March Unemployment Rate originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 27 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Polo Ralph Lauren (RL) to neutral from underperform at BofA/Merrill.
• Sigma-Aldrich (SIAL) to outperform from market perform at Leerink.
• Petrobras (PBR) to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• Silvercorp Metals (SVM) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• PROS (PRO) to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• Power Integrations (POWI) and Monolithic Power (MPWR) to buy from neutral at Roth Capital.
• Diodes (DIOD) to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.
• Whole Foods (WFMI) to hold from sell at Hapoalim.
• Sinclair Broadcast (SBGI) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Sappi (SPP) to outperform from neutral at Macquarie.
• Alpha Natural (ANR) to buy from hold at BB&T.
• Watts Water (WTS) to buy from hold at Brean Murray.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ANR, CSCO, HUM, ITT, NYX, PBR, RL, WFMI, WMT, YHOO ...

Analyst Calls: ANR, CSCO, HUM, ITT, NYX, PBR, RL, WFMI, WMT, YHOO ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Polo Ralph Lauren Doubles Dividend After Q3 Earnings

Polo Ralph Lauren Doubles Dividend After Q3 Earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Polo Ralph Lauren (RL) to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• Qualcomm (QCOM) to buy from neutral at Roth Capital.
• Walgreen (WAG) to conviction buy from neutral at Goldman.
• Rockwell (ROK) to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• Carnival (CCL) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• SunTrust (STI) and TD Bank (TD) to outperform from market perform at Keefe Bruyette.
• Hawaiian Electric (HE) to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.
• Essex Property Trust (ESS) to outperform from neutral at Macquarie.
• Amgen (AMGN) to neutral from underperform at BofA/Merrill.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: EBAY, ERIC, MMI, MSI, NKE, QCOM, RL, ROK, SWY, WAG ...

Analyst Calls: EBAY, ERIC, MMI, MSI, NKE, QCOM, RL, ROK, SWY, WAG ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Phillips-Van Heusen Earnings Beat Wall Street in Q2

Phillips-Van Heusen Earnings Beat Wall Street in Q2 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (ANF) shares sold off after it posted a narrower Q1 net loss, but same-store sales rose.
• Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT) swung from a year-ago loss to a Q2 profit that was better than expected.
• Deere & Co. (DE) reported better-than-expected Q2 earnings and improved sales, and raised its full-year outlook.
• Dell Inc. (DELL) posted better-than-expected Q1 earnings, but the gross margin was disappointing, and shares fell.
• GameStop Corp. (GME) higher Q1 earnings beat consensus estimates but same-store sales declined.
• Gap Inc. (GPS) said its higher Q1 earnings beat expectations while revenue fell in line with estimates.

Continue reading Earnings Highlights: Dell, Gap, GM, Home Depot, HP, Sears, Target, Walmart ...

Earnings Highlights: Dell, Gap, GM, Home Depot, HP, Sears, Target, Walmart ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 22 May 2010 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Polo Ralph Lauren Up on Q4 Numbers: Should You Buy?

Polo Ralph Lauren Up on Q4 Numbers: Should You Buy? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 19 May 2010 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Phillips Van-Heusen Corp. (PVH) issued Q4 numbers Monday after the bell. The apparel maker, which recently purchased the Tommy Hilfiger brand, doubled its adjusted income to 61 cents per share. That was two pennies ahead of estimates. The top line increased 9%, also on an adjusted basis.

When you compare the fourth quarter's growth rates to the performance of the full fiscal year, you'll see a clear advantage to the former. This is hopefully indicative of a bright future course.

Continue reading Phillips-Van Heusen Tops Estimates, the Future Looks Bright

Phillips-Van Heusen Tops Estimates, the Future Looks Bright originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you are a shareholder of apparel entity Perry Ellis (PERY), you probably aren't so happy about the price action seen on Friday. The stock was off by 9%, on strong volume. The market just wasn't buying the earnings news.

What happened? According to Reuters, the situation didn't seem so bad. The company made 64 cents per share in the fourth quarter. That was a lot better than the $1.58 per-share loss observed in the comparable period twelve months ago. Furthermore, estimates were set at 59 cents per share. Come on, what gives? Plus, if you look at the actual press release, you'll find some encouraging commentary from management. The worst of the economic problems is hopefully behind the business; in addition, cash flow appears to be decent.

Continue reading Perry Ellis Sold Off on Q4 Earnings

Perry Ellis Sold Off on Q4 Earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 20 Mar 2010 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Guess (GES), a fashion concept whose related companies include Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF), Gap (GPS), and Polo Ralph Lauren (RL), posted fourth-quarter results Wednesday after the bell. Adjusted income went up well over 40% to 96 cents per diluted share. According to Earnings.com, Wall Street believed 81 cents per share would be the bottom-line number.

Total net sales increased 14%. Same-store sales were up 5.3% (they were better by 2% if you look at the metric in constant dollars). Net cash from operating activities over the last twelve months experienced significant expansion.

Continue reading Guess Profit Surges: Time to Buy?

Guess Profit Surges: Time to Buy? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 08:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from last week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Activision Blizzard Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI) said its Q3 profit declined despite the popularity of Guitar Hero.
• Blackboard Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBB) said Q3 revenue surged and its offered impressive cash flow numbers.
• Boston Beer Co. Inc. (NYSE: SAM) easily beat Q3 earnings estimates and raised its full-year guidance.
• Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) lower Q1 results topped estimates and sent shares higher.
• Cognizant Technology Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: CTSH) was upgraded following its strong Q3 results.
• Corporate Executive Board (NASDAQ: EXBD) received an analyst's upgrade following the Q3 results.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Cisco, Ford, Humana, MasterCard, Starbucks, Toyota ...

Earnings highlights: Cisco, Ford, Humana, MasterCard, Starbucks, Toyota ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

After the Memorial Day holiday in the United States, the earnings spotlight turns to Canadian banks: Bank of Montreal (NYSE: BMO), Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (NYSE: CM), Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE: RY), and Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE: TD) are all scheduled to report their second-quarter results.

While banks north of the border of generally have held up better than their U.S. counterparts, analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect the four listed above to report that earnings declined between 20% and 30% since the same period of last year. All four have P/E ratios around 10, and they are paying dividends. Shares of all four have surged 50% to 83% in the past three months, but are still 26% to 38% lower than a year ago.

Continue reading The week in preview: Canadian and U.S. banks, and more

The week in preview: Canadian and U.S. banks, and more originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 24 May 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Update Nov. 26, 2008: See all 2008 Black Friday deals.

Hip retailer Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) is expected to post earnings 22.9% higher than a year ago, to $0.35 per share, on revenue of $475.9 million (+26.4%). The Philadelphia-based company already said that same-store sales in the quarter were 10% higher. Urban Outfitters has beat expectations in recent quarters, by 11.5% in the previous quarter, and analysts on average recommend buying URBN. Shares fell to a 52-week low of $16.61 per share on Friday, and are down 29.5% from a year ago. Other companies expected to report more modest earnings growth in the coming week include watch and accessory maker Fossil Inc. (NASDAQ: FOSL), retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT), and TJX Companies Inc. (NYSE: TJX), parent of such discount retail chains as T.J. Maxx and Marshalls. These three companies have tended to top analysts estimates in recent quarters, and Fossil and TJX ended the week near their 52-week lows.

While Los Angeles-based American Apparel Inc. (AMEX: APP) had a strong second quarter, the casual wear maker is expected to report $0.13 per share earnings for the third quarter, the same as in the year-ago period. And analysts anticipate that Kohl's Corp. (NYSE: KSS) will report that profits fell 16.4% to $0.51 per share on revenue of $3.9 billion (+1.9%). Though same-store sales for October fell 9%, the Menomonee Falls, Wis.-based company reaffirmed its third-quarter forecast. Kohl's has offered positive surprises in recent quarters, topping estimates by 5.6% in the previous quarter. The consensus recommendation remains to buy KSS. Shares have been climbing after reaching a 52-week low in late October, but are still down 32.8% from a year ago.

Continue reading The week in preview: Macy's, Nordstrom, Abercrombie, JCPenney, and Kohl's

The week in preview: Macy's, Nordstrom, Abercrombie, JCPenney, and Kohl's originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 09 Nov 2008 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Archer Daniels Midland Co. (NYSE: ADM) said Q4 profit plunged, missing analysts' expectations.
• Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK.A) posted yet another solid quarter and topped analysts' expectations.
• Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) reported solid results and reaffirmed its revenue guidance.
• General Mills Inc. (NYSE: GIS) performance despite rising commodities costs impressed Jim Cramer.
• Hansen Natural Corp. (NASDAQ: HANS) Q2 earnings surged on popularity of Monster energy drink.
• Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) beat Q2 expectations, sending shares of health insurers higher.
• LeapFrog Enterprises Inc. (NYSE: LF) narrowed its Q2 loss, sending shares up near its 52-week high.
• MGM Mirage (NYSE: MGM) Q2 profit tumbled but revenues topped analysts' expectations.
• NetSuite Inc. (NYSE: N) cut its Q2 loss and revenues surged on 400 new customers.
• Orbitz Worldwide Inc. (NYSE: OWW) narrowed its net loss while revenues inched upward.
• Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. (NYSE: RL) easily topped Q1 expectations and raised its full-year guidance.
• Pzena Investment Management Inc's (NYSE: PZN) CEO admits that its Q2 was "awful, just terrible."
• 3Com Corp. (NASDAQ: COMS) raised its Q1 profit and sales forecasts due to gains in China.
• Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) net income fell due to the strong yen and rising materials costs.
• Warner Music Group Corp. (NYSE: WMG) reported a smaller-than-expected Q3 net loss.
• World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: WWE) flat year-over-year earnings fell short of estimtates.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Toyota, Cisco, ADM, MGM, General Mills, Warner Music and others

Earnings highlights: Toyota, Cisco, ADM, MGM, General Mills, Warner Music and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 09 Aug 2008 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

With a turn of the calendar page, we drift into the middle portion of the current quarter, but the earnings season rolls on. Among the many companies scheduled to report quarterly results this coming week are Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX), Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO), News Corp. (NYSE: NWS), and Whole Foods Market International (NASDAQ: WFMI). Let's take a look at which companies Wall Street analysts are expecting to be among the top earnings gainers and decliners this week.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial expect the following to report strong earnings growth when compared to the same period of the previous year.

• DRS Technologies Inc. (NYSE: DRS): $0.85 EPS (+95.3%) on revenue of $823.8 million (+12.0%)
• Integrys Energy Group Inc. (NYSE: TEG): $0.40 EPS (+70.0%) on revenue of $2.6 billion (+9.7%)
• Cimarex Energy Co. (NYSE: XEC): $2.53 EPS (+64.4%) on revenue of $599.9 million (+75.4%)
• Forest Oil Corp. (NYSE: FST): $1.51 EPS (+55.6%) on revenue of $456.1 million (+79.1%)
• Devon Energy Corp. (NYSE: DVN): $3.28 EPS (+48.5%) on revenue of $4.1 billion (+38.5%)
• CMS Energy Corp. (NYSE: CMS): $0.13 EPS (+46.2%) on revenue of $1.4 billion (+6.7%)
• Transocean Inc. (NYSE: RIG): $3.23 EPS (+43.0%) on revenue of $3.1 billion (+112.9%)
• Sara Lee Corp. (NYSE: SLE): $0.26 EPS (+38.5%) on revenue of $3.5 billion (+8.9%)
• Williams Companies Inc. (NYSE: WMB): $0.69 EPS (+37.7%) on revenue of $3.4 billion (+20.0%)
• Harris Corp. (NYSE: HRS): $0.99 EPS (+28.3%) on revenue of $1.4 billion (+18.0%)

Continue reading The week in preview: Expectations remain high for energy and oil

The week in preview: Expectations remain high for energy and oil originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 03 Aug 2008 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE: RL) is engaged in the design, marketing, and distribution of apparel, accessories, home furnishings and fragrances. These are offered under such brand names as Polo Ralph Lauren, Safari, Black Label, Club Monaco and Rugby. The company operates over 300 Ralph Lauren, Club Monaco, and Rugby retail stores, as well as a pair of e-commerce sites. Its products are also carried by upscale and mid-tier department stores. Macy's (NYSE: M) and Dillard's (NYSE: DDS) account for more than a third of all wholesale revenue. Jones Apparel Group (NYSE: JNY) and Liz Claiborne (NYSE: LIZ) are competitors.

The company pleased investors late last month, when it reported fiscal Q4 EPS of $1.00 and revenues of $1.24 billion. Analysts had been looking for 65 cents and $1.15 billion. Management also guided FY09 EPS to $3.95-$4.05 ($3.97 consensus). Needham subsequently reiterated its "buy" rating on the shares and boosted its price target to $79.

Continue reading Polo Ralph Lauren (RL): Price defines bullish 'flag' consolidation pattern

Polo Ralph Lauren (RL): Price defines bullish 'flag' consolidation pattern originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Father's Day is around the corner. Why not spend some time looking at the coming earnings and how Dad's Day may have an impact. It is funny to see how many of the companies reporting earnings this week actually have links to Father's Day.

While this column has been obviously bearish of late, there are a few potential winners that may appear, just in time for the big day. Time to stock up on gifts for dear-ole-dad, or get farther away from stocks? You tell me... (by the way, comments and ideas are always appreciated)

Monday, May 26

Markets will be flat. I am certain that stocks on the U.S. Market will close at the exact price they closed last Friday. But what do I know!

Continue reading The week in preview: Are Father's Day gifts coming from DELL, RL, or MW?

The week in preview: Are Father's Day gifts coming from DELL, RL, or MW? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 25 May 2008 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While the earnings season is beginning to wind down for the current quarter, there are still plenty of results to come. Here's a peek at what analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial are expecting from companies scheduled to report results in the final week of May 2008.

These companies are expected to post earnings growth, compared to the same period in the previous year:

• Omnivison Technologies (NASDAQ: OVTI) up 81.3% to 32 cents per share, on $178.20 million in revenue
• Lions Gate Entertainment (NYSE: LGF) up 48.6% to 37 cents per share, on $410.93 million in revenue
• Big Lots Inc. (NYSE: BIG) up 27.7% to 36 cents per share, on $1.14 billion in revenue
• Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ: COST) up 13.8% to 65 cents per share, on $16.32 billion in revenue
• Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF) up 10.0% to 40 cents per share, on $648.87 million in revenue
• HJ Heinz Co. (NYSE: HNZ) up 9.8% to 61 cents per share, on $2.67 billion in revenue
• Dollar Tree Inc. (NASDAQ: DLTR) up 9.5% to 42 cents per share, on $1.05 billion in revenue

These companies are expected to report earnings declines:

• Sears Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: SHLD) down 86.4% to 15 cents per share, on $11.41 billion in revenue
• Men's Wearhouse Inc. (NYSE: MW) down 70.6% to 22 cents per share, on $476.98 million in revenue
• Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. (NYSE: RL) down 4.4% to 65 cents per share, on $1.15 billion in revenue
• Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) down 2.9% to 33 cents per share, on $15.66 billion in revenue

TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO) is expected to swing to a loss of a penny per share, compared to a penny profit a year ago, and report $55.62 million in revenue. And analysts expect Borders Group Inc. (NYSE: BGP) to narrow its loss 7.8% to 47 cents per share, on $801.11 million in revenue.

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

Earnings expectations: Dell, Sears, Borders, Costco, Tiffany, Omnivision and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 24 May 2008 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Determined to bring a more formal, stylish fashion to the U.S. Olympic team garb for the Beijing games later this year, the Olympic committee has dumped Roots Ltd. in favor of Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. (NYSE: RL). According to The Wall Street Journal [subscription], Tom Brokaw, former NBC news anchor, was asked by USOC COO Norman Bellingham to approach Ralph Lauren about the possible affiliation.

The deal, which also includes the Paralympics, builds on the company's growing affiliation with sports events, including the U.S. Open and Winbledon, and should result in a terrific boost to sales at both its own boutiques and other retailers with whom it is negotiating distribution.

The designs will supposedly evoke the styles of the film Chariots of Fire. The duds will be kept under wraps until the opening ceremonies in August, although the many Chinese who will probably sew the garments will have a good idea of what to expect. I'll be interested to see if the Chinese government's clampdown on counterfeit goods successfully keeps fake U.S. uniforms off of the streets of Beijing before the games even began.

The line of consumer clothing to be spun off the Olympic garb should dovetail nicely into Lauren's line and burnish its image, although it will be interesting to see at what price point this line will fall. The equalitarian nature of the Olympic sport may not be reflected in the cost of dressing like our champions.

America moves upscale to Lauren for Olympic garb originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 07 Apr 2008 13:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

So I'm looking at Liz Claiborne (NYSE: LIZ) and its latest earnings report. I don't currently have a retailer in my portfolio, so I'm thinking to myself, hey, maybe I'll want to buy Liz after I check out its latest numbers. Well, that didn't happen.

Net sales (excluding discontinued operations) dropped 3% for the fourth quarter, and adjusted net income declined dramatically, coming in at $0.20 per diluted share -- last year at this time, the metric was over four times as big at $0.94. For the year, net sales dropped over 1% (excluding discontinued operations), and adjusted net income was $1.30 per diluted share -- yet another huge drop, considering that Liz Claiborne took in $2.99 per diluted share of adjusted net income in 2006. Oh, and there are other things here that will make any prospective investor shudder -- operational cash flow was down, the dividend was stagnant, and the margins weren't anything to write home about. And comps at some of the company's stores have been challenged (Juicy Couture, however, did report a strong 25% increase in comparable sales in the fourth quarter).

This was an easy one for me -- I'll stay away from Liz Claiborne. The company, which competes with the likes of Jones Apparel Group (NYSE: JNY) and Polo Ralph Lauren (NYSE: RL), currently exists in the land of strategic reviews, cost reductions, and discontinued operations. I don't want to travel to such a land with this particular business.

Disclosure: Steven Mallas owns none of the companies mentioned.

Liz Claiborne, I'm staying away from you! originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 15 Mar 2008 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.