Continue reading Dollar General: Buy on the Dips?

Dollar General: Buy on the Dips? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Is Walgreen Headed to $50 and Beyond?

Is Walgreen Headed to $50 and Beyond? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

US unemployment claims dropped to their lowest level since October 2008, with 385,000 new claims. The number of continuing claims also fell by 80,000. The headline consumer inflation index rose 0.5%, as expected, while core inflation rose 0.2%, a bit more than the 0.1% that had been forecast. Prices for WTI crude oil rose above $100/barrel again, up more than $3/barrel on fears of more unrest in Bahrain, which is seen by many as a proxy struggle between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Gold prices also rose today, up about $8/ounce to $1,404.00.

Here are the numbers for late afternoon trading today:

Dow Jones 11,774.59 +161.29 (1.39%)
S&P 500 1,273.72 +16.84 (1.34%)
Nasdaq 2,636.05 +19.23 (0.73%)

Continue reading Closing Bell: Markets Recover Lost Ground on Better Economic News

Closing Bell: Markets Recover Lost Ground on Better Economic News originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I was checking out an article over at GuruFocus on companies that have recently raised their dividend payments to shareholders. The Gap, Inc. (GPS) was on the list. I decided to take a brief look at the stock's current status.

At the time of this writing, shares of the retailer were off fractionally, priced at a quote of $21.44. The 52-week low for the shares is $16.62 while the 52-week high is $26.34. Don't you hate that? The stock is basically stuck in the middle of the range. So which way is it going to go?

Continue reading Gap -- Buy or Sell?

Gap -- Buy or Sell? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Nordstrom: A Retail Shining Star

Nordstrom: A Retail Shining Star originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Dick's Sporting Goods (DKS) issued its fourth-quarter report today. The company was rocking this afternoon: with a little more than two hours to go before the close of the session, the stock was up 6% to $39.93. Earlier during the intraday session, a new 52-week high of $40.26 was achieved. It's good to get over that psychological round-number level, right?

The volume of shares traded so far is already in the spectacular range. The 52-week low for the stock is $24.02, so the current price is more than a comfortable distance away from that point. The one-year chart is attractive even if it doesn't plot a straight-up line.

Continue reading Dick's Sporting Goods Hits New 52-Week High

Dick's Sporting Goods Hits New 52-Week High originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Target (TGT) has not been a good stock at all since the turn of the year. Take a look at the twelve-month chart. Find where the shares were on Jan. 3. Got it? Now, do you see what happened since then? I don't think you can miss such a big drop.

The 52-week low for the retailer is $48.23; the 52-week high is $60.97. The equity finished down 0.7% to $51.30 on Monday. Volume, thankfully, was below average. That lack of conviction could be a saving grace.

Continue reading Target's Pullback: View It as a Trading Opportunity?

Target's Pullback: View It as a Trading Opportunity? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

You didn't want to be a short-term shareholder in Urban Outfitters (URBN) during Monday's after-hours session. At the time I was writing this, I saw a quote of $34.10. That's a 10% drop. And that isn't good.

A fourth-quarter earnings report caused the volatility. According to TheFly, net income came in seven pennies less than expected. Also, gross margin experienced a decline.

Continue reading Urban Outfitters Experiences Big Drop After Q4 Report

Urban Outfitters Experiences Big Drop After Q4 Report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Walmart (WMT) made an announcement yesterday after the bell that presumably would have excited Wall Street. The company's quarterly dividend was raised by 21%. Very nice. So why are the shares off today?

To be fair, they were in positive territory earlier in the morning. Unfortunately, as I write this, with roughly three hours to go before the conclusion of the session, they are down 0.5% to $51.74. Perhaps they will be in the green by the end of the day. When you think about it, though, a 21% jump in a metric that is supposed to be friendly to investors should have received a lot more respect, correct?

Continue reading Walmart Boosts Dividend; Stock Falls

Walmart Boosts Dividend; Stock Falls originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

What a difference a few months can make. Back in December, I was a bit bearish on Big Lots (BIG). That was at $29.50. Know what the stock closed at yesterday? Its final price was $41.33. And that's rather close to the 52-week high of $42.27.

To fully appreciate how dramatic the rise in the stock has been requires a look at the one-year chart. Impressive, isn't it? I guess I should have been a stronger believer in the retailer. So, what should I be thinking now?

Continue reading Big Lots Earnings: Should Investors Take Profits Now?

Big Lots Earnings: Should Investors Take Profits Now? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 09:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Staples: Buy or Sell After Q4 Release?

Staples: Buy or Sell After Q4 Release? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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.

Sears Holdings Corporation (SHLD) is having a sale today. On its stock. Question is, do you think it's cheap enough to be a value?

I have reservations about buying the current dip. At the time of this writing, shares of the retailer were off by 5.8% to $82.19. Active volume backed the move. Granted, it's not like the stock is at the 52-week low of $59.21. Things aren't that dire. But the company isn't close to the 52-week high of of $125.42, either. And as for the one-year chart, well, I'm not sure the image is one to praise.

Continue reading Sears Holdings Drops After Earnings Report

Sears Holdings Drops After Earnings Report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

What did you think of Home Depot's (HD) earnings report? I rather enjoyed it. And I think the future may be bright for the retailer and arch enemy of Lowe's (LOW).

According to TheStreet.com, net income calculated out to 36 cents per share for the fourth quarter. This was five pennies better than the overall estimate. Same-store sales experienced an increase of 3.9%. And management's forecast for the full fiscal year was upgraded.

Continue reading Home Depot: Looking Good?

Home Depot: Looking Good? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT) is certainly the biggest icon in the retail industry. It doesn't seem like such a big name today, though. With a few minutes left until the closing bell sounds, I see a quote of $53.64 for the stock, a price that represents a decline of over 3%. And the volume backing this move is very high, my friends.

The major indexes were volatile today, so that obviously played into the sell-off. However, the fourth-quarter report also gave investors some cause for concern. According to the press release, adjusted income from continuing businesses came in at $1.34 per share. This compares to an adjusted $1.21 per share in the year-ago period.

Continue reading Walmart's Q4 Report: Sell the Numbers?

Walmart's Q4 Report: Sell the Numbers? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nordstrom (JWN) has the kind of chart that makes you look twice. At first, you see its choppiness and wonder where the heck the stock is going. Then you move in a little closer and notice how the equity might be clearing some resistance levels. Is the retailer getting ready to move higher?

If you go by the reaction to the company's latest earnings report during yesterday's extended-hours session, you'd probably think not. At the time of writing, the stock was down over 2%.

Continue reading Nordstrom: A Buy After the Latest Report?

Nordstrom: A Buy After the Latest Report? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (ANF) is a leading apparel company that primarily targets teens and young adults in the U.S. It competes with retailers like Aeropostale (ARO), Gap (GPS), J.Crew Group (JCG) and Urban Outfitters (URBN), and owns apparel brands such as A&F, Hollister and Gilly Hicks.

Looking at the Holiday Season

Our price estimate for Abercrombie & Fitch stock is $53.34, roughly 6% above market price. We estimate that A&F Stores account for 37% of the company's stock value compared to 29% for Hollister stores. The Internet & Catalog Orders contribute around 19%.

Continue reading Abercrombie & Fitch Growing Globally, Improving Margins

Abercrombie & Fitch Growing Globally, Improving Margins originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Did you catch the action in Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) today? The market apparently loved the data in the fourth-quarter report. With a little more than an hour to go before the end of the regular session, I'm seeing a quote of $57.37. That puts the gain in the shares at 7.4%. Volume is quite strong.

The 52-week low for this retailer is $29.94 and the 52-week high is $58.50. The chart shows the upward movement in the stock over the last twelve months. Not the smoothest rise ever plotted on a graph, but a rise nonetheless.

Continue reading Abercrombie & Fitch Near 52-Week High After Q4 Report

Abercrombie & Fitch Near 52-Week High After Q4 Report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Home Depot Hiring 60,000 Employees

Home Depot Hiring 60,000 Employees originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Tomorrow is a big day for Verizon (VZ) customers who have been waiting to get their chance to join the iPhone revolution, and we now learn that Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) will also be carrying the Verizon iPhone 4 at 600 retail stores across the nation.

As of today, when you visit Apple's (AAPL) website you are given the option to order an iPhone for use on either AT&T (T) or Verizon, with the price being the same for either option.

Continue reading Walmart Joins the iPhone Party

Walmart Joins the iPhone Party originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.