Continue reading TJX: Buy or Sell After Q1?

TJX: Buy or Sell After Q1? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 18 May 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The TJX Companies (TJX), a retailer that competes with Kohl's (KSS) and Target (TGT), made its shareholders happy yesterday by announcing a dividend increase. The new quarterly payment was expanded by 25% to 15 cents per share.

Not only was that event pretty cool, but so was the price action of the stock. Shares of the company hit a new 52-week high of $44.95 during Tuesday's intraday session. At the end of regular trading activities, the stock settled to a nice $44.70. Volume was healthy, as well.

Continue reading TJX: Buy After the Dividend Increase?

TJX: Buy After the Dividend Increase? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 07 Apr 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Retailers appear to have been rescued at the last minute, according to data from the International Council of Shopping Centers. Shoppers looking for deals the week before Christmas -- and making up for the day lost to stormy weather on the East Coast -- spent aggressively, sparing the retail sector a dismal 2008-like performance.

The healthy conclusion to the holiday season led to a positive change from November and made December one of only three months (including September and October) in which retail sales increased year-over-year.

Continue reading Retailers Post Solid December, but Consumer Still Strapped

Retailers Post Solid December, but Consumer Still Strapped originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This week, the world's top retailers will tell investors how the much-discussed holiday season went. Analysts expect a year-over-year gain of 1.3% for stores open at least a year, which of course uses a dismal 2008 as a benchmark.

The holiday shopping season is the last chance retailers get to pump up their financial statements before the close of their fiscal year, which usually comes at the end of January. For some retailers, up to 40% of their revenue comes in the weeks heading into Christmas.

Continue reading Retail Results to Come this Week, but Spring Is the Test

Retail Results to Come this Week, but Spring Is the Test originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 03 Jan 2010 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Kaufman Bros. upgraded Yahoo! (YHOO) to buy from hold after channel checks indicated display advertising is seeing continued improvement in pricing and demand. The firm finds the risk/reward profile on Yahoo! shares attractive at current levels and raised its price target on the stock to $20 from $19.
• Citigroup upgraded Edwards Lifesciences (EW) to buy from hold following the company's investor meeting as it believes new product launches will serve as catalysts in 2010. Citi raised its target on shares to $101 from $72.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded BWAY Holding (BWY) to buy from hold following the company's Q4 results and raised its target on shares to $22 from $17.
• Clearwire (CLWR) was upgraded to buy from sell at Soleil.
• Nokia (NOK) was raised to hold from sell at Societe Generale.
• NCR Corp. (NCR) was upgraded at JPMorgan to overweight from neutral.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: YHOO, EW, BWY, BRO, BNI, FFIV, AOL, CYPB, ATML ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: YHOO, EW, BWY, BRO, BNI, FFIV, AOL, CYPB, ATML ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The next month is the one that matters most to the retail sector. It will dominate the conversation when Q4 and full-year financials are reported. A strong Black Friday brought with it concerns that momentum will fade, but opportunity is not dispensed equally. Some retailers will come through the season better than others, and industry experts have already chosen their favorites.

Michael Dart, senior partner at Kurt Salmon Associates, says, "We are seeing a paradigm shift in the way consumer interprets value and what they are looking for." The winners will do more than pitch deep discounts to convince consumers to part with their hard-earned cash.

Continue reading Nine (and then some) retail stocks to watch this holiday season

Nine (and then some) retail stocks to watch this holiday season originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

There's a chill in the air and a slight up-tick in confidence. Holiday discounts are coming a bit earlier, too. For retailers, this has been a great combination, leading to the second consecutive month in which retail sales increased.

This follows more than a year of drops. Consumers aren't going crazy, but they are loosening their wallets a little bit. Consumer spending accounts for 70% of the U.S. economy, and the coming holiday season is where the action is -- for the retail sector and, consequently, for everyone else.

Continue reading Retail sales: Signs of life, but not yet a rising tide

Retail sales: Signs of life, but not yet a rising tide originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading TJX Cos. announces a $1 billon stock buyback

TJX Cos. announces a $1 billon stock buyback originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Albert Gonzalez faced the music in a U.S. District Court in Boston on Friday, pleading guilty to masterminding one of the biggest cases of identity theft in history. The deal he struck with prosecutors could have him turning big rocks into little ones for up to a quarter of a century.

The Miami resident compromised the computer systems of large, high-profile retailers, including TJX (NYSE: TJX), BJ's Wholesale Club (NYSE: BJ), OfficeMax (NYSE: OMX), Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS) and Sports Authority. Tens of millions of credit card numbers were swiped in this scheme, leading to 19 counts of conspiracy, computer fraud, wire fraud, access device fraud and aggravated identity theft -- if there are other charges ... well, you get the point.

Continue reading Remorseful hacker faces 25 years

Remorseful hacker faces 25 years originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 13 Sep 2009 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Retail sales were down for the twelfth month in a row in August, according to an Associated Press report. Consumers stayed focused on what they need rather than what they want, as unemployment remains high and even those employed worry about the future of their jobs.

The silver lining, though, is that the coming holiday season might not be as bad as many thought.

Some retailers actually showed gains. TJMaxx (NYSE: TJX) and Old Navy, a Gap (NYSE: GPS) company, for example, saw year-over-year sales increases, though upscale stores generally sustained declines. The action on the discount side could be an early sign that the consumer is ready to play.

Continue reading Twelve straight months of retail sales declines

Twelve straight months of retail sales declines originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Albert Gonzalez is calling it quits. Accused of masterminding the largest identity theft in the United States ever, he has agreed to plead guilty in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts. Separate charges filed in New Jersey, however, remain.

The 28 year-old faces 15 to 25 years in prison and will forfeit $1.65 million and a Miami condo (in addition to $1.1 million already seized). If the judge accepts the terms, this would be the longest sentence ever recorded for a hacking case.

Continue reading Hacker pleads guilty in Mass., charges pending in N.J.

Hacker pleads guilty in Mass., charges pending in N.J. originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 30 Aug 2009 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When I wrote about The TJX Companies (NYSE: TJX) back in November of last year, I was clearly bearish. Hey, things seemed a lot tougher back then, and the frugal consumer was putting a ton of pressure on retail prices. Now, though, after checking out the company's second-quarter report, I find myself losing some of my negative thoughts about it.

According to the press release, sales increased 4% and earnings per diluted share from continuing operations expanded by 27% to come in at 61 cents. This was a penny better than market expectations, according to Earnings.com.

Continue reading TJX Companies sees growth in Q2: Should stock be considered a buy?

TJX Companies sees growth in Q2: Should stock be considered a buy? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading TJX Companies rallies on strong first-quarter earnings

TJX Companies rallies on strong first-quarter earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 19 May 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TJX Companies (NYSE: TJX) is scheduled to report Q4 EPS on February 25. TJX closed at $21.83. TJX February option implied volatility is at 61, March is at 56; above its 26-week average of 52, according to Track Data, suggesting larger price movement.

Kohl's (NYSE: KSS) closed at $37.93. KSS is expected to report Q4 EPS on February 26. Goldman Sachs downgraded KSS to Sell. KSS March option implied volatility of 63 is near its 26-week average, according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price movement.

Continue reading Options Update: Clothing retailers volatility elevated into EPS; TJX, KSS, M

Options Update: Clothing retailers volatility elevated into EPS; TJX, KSS, M originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Russian business runs on different rules. News Corp.'s (NYSE: NWS) Rupert Murdoch, who has been doing business in China for years, is nervous about his Russian enterprises. This morning, the FBI announced it had rounded up a ring of data thieves, many from former Soviet Union countries. And then there's the little matter of BP-TNK, a joint venture between BP (NYSE: BP) and a Russian company, whose Russian shareholders are booting out its Western executives so they can take over the operation.

Here's what Silicon Alley insider reports Murdoch had to say about doing business in Russia: "We have great growing business there but just -- this is purely me, I'm sorry, I'm -- the more I read about investments in Russia, the less I like the feel of it. The more successful we'd be, the more vulnerable we'd be to have it stolen from us, so there we sell now."

In case you missed it, The Detroit Free Press reports that an international ring of data thieves used wardriving -- the practice of stealing data from unprotected Wi-Fi networks -- to take 40 million identities, use the information to print fake ATM cards, and steal millions of dollars. The corporate victims include customers of TJX (NYSE: TJX), Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS), and OfficeMax (NYSE: OMX). Five of the 11 defendants are from former Soviet Union countries -- "one is from Estonia, three are from Ukraine, and one is from Belarus."

Continue reading Why do we do business with Russia?

Why do we do business with Russia? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TJX Companies: The nearly recession-proof retail play originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The TJX Companies (NYSE: TJX) is a leading off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions in North America and Europe. The firm sells family apparel, accessories, shoes, giftware, jewelry and home furnishings through nearly 2,100 stores in the United States (T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, A.J. Wright, Bob's Stores), over 250 outlets in Canada (Winners, HomeSense), and 226 T.K. Maxx stores in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Target (NYSE: TGT), Kohl's (NYSE: KSS) and Ross Stores (NASDAQ: ROST) are major competitors.

The company pleased investors last week, when it reported a December same-store sales increase of three percent (y/y) and issued upside guidance for the fourth quarter. Management now sees Q4 EPS of 60-63 cents, versus previous guidance of 58-60 cents and Street consensus of 59 cents. The CEO attributed success to disciplined inventory management and expense control. Analysts also pointed to the tendency of consumers to move to discount-oriented chains in a declining economy.

Continue reading The TJX Companies: Share price defines bullish chart formation

The TJX Companies: Share price defines bullish chart formation originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 18 Jan 2008 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"The third quarter of the year has historically been the roughest on the stock market," notes advisor Kelley Wright, a specialist in dividend paying stocks.

In his IQ Trends newsletter, he notes, "One could argue that a correction and consolidation would be healthy and is long overdue." That being said, he adds, "The opportunity currently exists to acquire high-quality companies with long-term rising dividend trends."

Within this framework, he sees opportunity in two favorite blue chip retailers -- Wal-Mart Stores (NYSE: WMT) and TJX Companies (NYSE: TJX).

He says, "It seems like every summer we hear analysts agonize over weak retail sales from May and June. I've often wondered if any of these folks have heard of the phenomenon known as 'vacation.'"

He continues, "After a long school year with the seemingly never ending number of trips to pick up the dozens of items that the kids absolutely have to have, I know that my wife doesn't want to go anywhere near a store unless it is a medical necessity."

Says Wright, "The calendar cannot be ignored so I suspect that when Uniform Day (as they call it at my kids' school) rolls around in mid-August, parents across the fruited plain will be descending en mass to pick up clothes, shoes and the requisite supplies for another school year. And, he states, "I believe both Wal Mart and TJX Companies will be potential beneficiaries of this impending spending spree."

Wright explains, "Both companies are ranked A+ by S&P for their earnings and dividend quality. In addition, both stock have excellent dividend histories. It is a fortunate circumstance when quality and value intersect with opportunity."

Each day, Steven Halpern's TheStockAdvisors.com features the latest investment ideas and market commentary from the financial newsletter community.

Back to school bets: WMT, TJX originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 23 Jul 2007 14:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.