Target (TGT) overall option implied volatility of 24 is near its 26-week average, according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional term price movement.

Valeant Pharmaceuticals (VRX) announced it made a proposal to the Board of Directors of Cephalon (CEPH), to acquire Cephalon for $73.00 per share in cash. Cephalon overall option implied volatility of 25 is below its 26-week average of 30, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement.

Update is by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com

Options Update: Target Volatility Flat; Shares Near 8-Month Low originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Last January I suggested that shares of Ross Stores (ROST) might be as much of a bargain as the merchandise it sells. That turned out to be true. The stock has outpaced the market considerably. At the time, it was trading at $45.20. Last week, on Sept. 3, Ross closed at $52.60 for a year-to-date gain of 16.37%.

Ross pays a small dividend yielding 1.12%. It is not high, but it exceeds what you're getting from money market accounts or CDs and, added to the stocks appreciating, it's a bonus.

After this nice gain, how do the metrics shape up today? Is it too late to make some money here?

Continue reading Chasing Value: Ross Stores Update, Great Then and Now

Chasing Value: Ross Stores Update, Great Then and Now originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Retailers Enjoy Solid January, Led by Luxury Set

Retailers Enjoy Solid January, Led by Luxury Set originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

After Walmart (WMT) announced home theater and other installation services in 2009, fellow retailer Target (TGT) will now be doing the same. Mostly, Target wants to be the retailer of choice for flat-panel televisions and grab installation services in that arena as well. Target's new install service will be provided by Zip Express Installation, and most likely won't affect Target in any way, shape or form.

Have you been into a Target or SuperTarget recently? The flat-panel television lineup and merchandising is absolutely atrocious compared to retailers like Walmart (which has stepped up its game considerably in consumer electronics), Best Buy (BBY) and even wholesale retailers like Costco Wholesale (COST). Is Target just playing the "me too" game or does it really think having this installation service will make those considering a flat-panel television flock to its doors?

Continue reading Target to Try Its Hand at Home Installation Services

Target to Try Its Hand at Home Installation Services originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 18 Jan 2010 11:30:00 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.

The holidays have ended, and the real sales have begun. Those choosing to sacrifice sentimentality for savings found retailers only too willing to help, as prices were slashed in the wake of the Christmas rush. Recipients of gift cards stand to see their purchasing power extended, as well, now that redemption time has arrived, and retailers are looking to squeeze in any extra sales they can to pump up their top lines before the books close on the fiscal year, which, for many, comes at the end of January.

Toys "R" Us has offered a deal on Nintendo (NTDOY) Wii games, with the second coming at half price, and Target (TGT) is nearly halving the price of wine glasses and dropping the tag on an argyle women's sweater by nearly a third. Walmart (WMT), which kicked off its cuts at the end of September, is throwing a $50 gift card on top of any Microsoft (MSFT) Xbox 360 buy.

Continue reading After Christmas, Retailers Pick Up the Pieces

After Christmas, Retailers Pick Up the Pieces originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 28 Dec 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Anxious to grab every last dollar they can out of holiday shoppers, retailers are pulling out all the stops. Especially given the snowstorm on the East Coast last week, they have to make up some ground, and time is running out. They lost the Saturday before Christmas, one of the busiest shopping days of the year -- and a favorite of people like me who wait until the last minute.

"Super Saturday," as it's called, was off close to 13% compared to last year, says research firm ShopperTrak. Only $6.9 billion came in, off $1 billion-year-over-year. And, let's not forget that 2008 was a drag. Its $7.9 billion performance was down from $8.7 billion in 2007.

Continue reading With Christmas Looming, Retailers Make Up for Lost Time

With Christmas Looming, Retailers Make Up for Lost Time originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Have you ever gone to a website and kicked the tires? Well, uTest, a Boston-based startup, pulled 600 software professionals together from 20 countries to do exactly that.

The company, which has a bench of 21,000 professional testers from 159 countries, wanted to see which of the three major retail websites -- those run by Amazon.com (AMZN), Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) -- is the least buggy. The winner: Amazon.

Continue reading Study: Target website buggy, Amazon takes top honors

Study: Target website buggy, Amazon takes top honors originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 05 Dec 2009 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Stores were busy on Black Friday, as deals lured recession-weary consumers out of their homes. The spending was cautious, but the crowds and transactions signaled strength.

Nonetheless, retailers are still concerned that the momentum is only temporary. With consumer spending still under pressure because of high unemployment, there's a risk that holiday shopping may not reach the levels the stores would like to see. The day after Thanksgiving is usually the hottest of the year and can account for close to 20% of annual retail sales.

Continue reading Black Friday busy, but momentum may not hold

Black Friday busy, but momentum may not hold originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 28 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The price at the cash register ticked higher in October, though it was driven by the cost at the pump and on the lot.

Energy prices and new car sales (the highest in 28 years) pushed consumer prices upward in October, they're still cheaper than they were a year earlier. The Labor Department reports that consumer prices edged up 0.3% last month, a tad higher than the 0.2% anticipated. Take food and energy out of the equation, and inflation rose 0.2%, again ahead of the 0.1% that analysts expected.

Continue reading Energy, auto sales push consumer prices higher in October

Energy, auto sales push consumer prices higher in October originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Imagine taking the personal connections and interactions that occur every day on the likes of Facebook and Twitter... and bringing them to bear on an education. To a large extent, this hasn't been done yet, but the potential is profound. In a new report by the Center for Community Survey for Student Engagement, two-year programs aren't taking advantage of the tools at their disposal -- plenty of growth is still possible. Kay McClenney, director of the CCSSE, says, "Colleges are not taking advantage of that particular set of tools for making connections with students to the extent that they could."

Continue reading Community colleges missing the social media boat

Community colleges missing the social media boat originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Santa hasn't even been tugged down Central Park West yet, and Wal-Mart (WMT) is already slashing its prices. The market among major retailers is intensifying, with many offering products as loss leaders in order to entice customers into the store (physical or otherwise) and boost their basket sizes. Along with Target (TGT) and Amazon (AMZN), Walmart is slashing DVD prices, the same tactic it's using with books.

Retailers are rushing to undercut each other this year, which is causing prices to spiral down quickly. When Walmart announced reduced prices on several titles to $10, Amazon followed at $9.99, with Walmart stepping back in at $9.98.

Continue reading Walmart, Amazon now slash DVD prices: What's next?

Walmart, Amazon now slash DVD prices: What's next? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Once upon a time, retailers measured success by the number of people walking by in the mall, how many entered the store, the percentage they spent, and basket size. Now, a world of zeroes and ones has changed their perspective entirely. Social media is expected to be the star during the coming holiday season, with retailers pushing Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter content to get in front of consumers and affect either online or in-store purchases. Smaller Christmas budgets are expected, so the fight is on to garner as large a share as possible of a shrinking pie.

Of course, nobody would come out and say, "Social media is nonsense, and I'm not getting anything for my investment." So, when the likes of Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX), JCPenney (NYSE: JCP), and Target (NYSE: TGT) say that social media is connecting them with their customers and leading to more effective campaigns and product launches, do take it with a grain of salt. What can't be ignored, however, is that they're committing more resources to social media marketing, even though it's still far too soon to tell if it will be effective.

Continue reading Retailers push social media, want bigger wallet share for Christmas

Retailers push social media, want bigger wallet share for Christmas originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Small book retailers were buying in bulk from major online booksellers because they could really save some money. One was buying up to 70 copies of a particular title -- it was $5 less a pop from the big guys than it would have been from the publisher. Finally, however, the big retailers have become wise to the trend and taken action, according to the Wall Street Journal (subscription required).

Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT), Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), and Target (NYSE: TGT) have decided to cap the number of books customers can buy online, a measure intended to prevent smaller competitors from treating them as partners. Walmart is limiting customers to two copies of a particular book, with Amazon placing the border at three and Target at five.

Continue reading Major booksellers didn't realize they were suppliers to rivals

Major booksellers didn't realize they were suppliers to rivals originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Toys R Us bought FAO Schwarz in May and is now ready to do something interesting with it.

It's a pretty bold move for a tough retail market. Toys R Us is opening FAO Schwarz boutiques in some of its stores. It's also relaunching the upscale toy seller's website, FAO.com. A year ago, this would have been suicide, but now, it might work out. With retailers in every sector fighting for an edge, this move may beef up the Toys R Us in-store experience, with the online play helping it reach higher-spending consumers that may not have access to an FAO brick-and-mortar spot.

Continue reading Toys R Us opening FAO Schwarz boutiques for the holidays

Toys R Us opening FAO Schwarz boutiques for the holidays originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Consumers are finally spending more, with September posting the first gain in more than a year. The International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) found that retail sales inched 0.1% higher last month. It doesn't seem like much, but a gain when you anticipate a fall is good news magnified. But, it came at the expense of great deals and other tools to entice somewhat hesitant customers into stores.

Kohl's (NYSE: KSS) and Limited Brands (NYSE: LTD) reported sales increases in September for stores open more than a year. J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP), Macy's (NYSE: M) and Target (NYSE: TGT) posted declines, but they were better than expected. Delayed school openings thanks to a late Labor Day helped push to September sales that might have occurred in August otherwise.

Of course, all eyes are on the coming holiday season. The National Retail Federation forecasts U.S. consumer spending of $437.6 billion - up only slightly from $433.7 billion four years ago. So, we still have a lot of ground to make up before we can celebrate a recovery. As long as the situation is staying steady, though, we'll at least have a solid starting point.

Consumers' wallets peeking open originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MasterCard Advisors (NYSE: MA) service SpendingPulse says luxury and electronics sales headed upward last month, in a pleasant deviation from what became the norm all too long ago. A few other product categories posted gains as well - showing stability, if not a recovery. But, at this stage of the game, we'll take what we can get, right?

Luxury sales, not including jewelry, gained 3.4% year-over-year - that's an increase of $891 million. Last September, luxury goods suffered a 9.4% decline. Yet, this category is still below its September 2005 level of $94 million. Jewelry sales gained 1.2% relative to last year, compared to a year-over-year decline of 5.8% a year ago. Compared to apparel sales, this is a profound turn. In September 2008, the clothing category was off 5.7%, and this September, it was down only 2.9%.

Continue reading Luxury spending on the rise

Luxury spending on the rise originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) will be mortal enemies this holiday season after both seeing consumers close their wallets and purses last season. Although September job losses were worse than expected, the U.S. economy continues to gain confidence, regardless of market losses this week.

What will be the weapons of choice in this season's holiday retail market? Wal-Mart will be pushing no less than 100 toys priced at $10 or below, with some hot names like "Transformers" in that mix. At the same time, Target announced the same items for $11.99. Not quite the same, is it? With Wal-Mart's research indicating that many of its shoppers start budgeting for Christmas purchases by August, that puny $2 difference does indeed make an impact on millions of consumers.

Continue reading Wal-Mart, Target to do holiday battle with sub-$10 toys?

Wal-Mart, Target to do holiday battle with sub-$10 toys? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Target to increase marketing spending for the remainder of 2009

Target to increase marketing spending for the remainder of 2009 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.