Continue reading Urban Outfitters Rises on Strong Q4 Earnings

Urban Outfitters Rises on Strong Q4 Earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE: AEO), whose mall colleagues include Gap (NYSE: GPS), Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE: ANF), and Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ: URBN), posted Q4 earnings on Wednesday.

The Christmas season was a difficult one for the chain. Sales decreased 9%, and same-store sales declined a whopping 16%. Ouch, sorry to hear that, American Eagle. Earnings came in at 19 cents per share, meeting analysts expectations.

It's the same old story: to move merchandise, things had to be marked down. And that affected profits. Big time.

Continue reading American Eagle meets expectations in Q4, but comps see huge decline

American Eagle meets expectations in Q4, but comps see huge decline originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 12 Mar 2009 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Ann Taylor's awful earnings miss means stock is a sell

Ann Taylor's awful earnings miss means stock is a sell originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ: URBN), as one might have expected, didn't report a great fourth quarter. It's a fashionable retailer, so you can imagine that consumers, who aren't in the mood to spend top dollar on clothes and accessories, forced the company to do a lot of discounting.

Sales, though, were healthy. The top line increased by 9%, and same-store sales at the Urban Outfitters brand rose 3%. Unfortunately, Q4 wasn't so kind to the Anthropologie and Free People brands. Their comps were down 6% and 13%, respectively. And the company missed earnings estimates. The call was for 28 cents per share, but the retailer was only able to deliver 24 cents per share.

Continue reading Urban Outfitters misses estimates -- a buying opportunity or not?

Urban Outfitters misses estimates -- a buying opportunity or not? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 06 Mar 2009 07:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Urban Outfitters (URBN) soars on decent January sales

Urban Outfitters (URBN) soars on decent January sales originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Citigroup upgraded shares of Southwest Gas (NYSE: SWX) to Buy from Hold on valuation, as they believe the company's fundamentals have improved enormously over the last three years.
• Thomas Weisel upgraded shares of Hittite Microwave (NASDAQ: HITT) to Overweight from Market Weight, as they believe the company is executing on its strategy of increasing new product introductions and growing its global sales efforts. They believe shares are undervalued and maintain a $43 target.
  
• Repsol SA (NYSE: REP) was raised to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank as they expect good news to flow in 2008.

• Goldman upgraded CNOOC (NYSE: CEO) to Buy from Neutral and added shares to their Conviction Buy List.
  
• Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ: URBN) was raised to Equal Weight from Underweight at Morgan Stanley.
  
• Broadpoint raised Ultimate Software (NASDAQ: ULTI) to Buy from Neutral.

Analyst upgrades: SWX, HITT and REP originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 07 Mar 2008 11:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Urban Outfitters (URBN) slides on weak retail industry despite strong Q4 results

Urban Outfitters (URBN) slides on weak retail industry despite strong Q4 results originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 06 Mar 2008 13:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Bear Stearns upgraded The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) to Outperform from Peer Perform, as they expect it to post solid earnings short-term with potential upside, and over the long-term due to its upgraded business model.
• Bernstein raised its rating on Novo Nordisk AS (NYSE: NVO) to Outperform from Market Perform, as they believe consensus estimates do not reflect the company's growth potential.
• Merriman upgraded shares of Equinix Inc (NASDAQ: EQIX) to Buy from Neutral on valuation following the recent sell-off. The firm expects strong Q4 results.

• BG Group Plc (OTC: BRGYY) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at UBS.
• PetSmart Inc (NASDAQ: PETM) was raised to Buy from Neutral by Goldman Sachs.
  
• Bear upgraded Urban Outfitters Inc (NASDAQ: URBN) to Peer Perform from Underperform.

Analyst upgrades: KO, NVO, EQIX, PETM, URBN originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 08 Feb 2008 09:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Cramer's Top Retail Buys: J.Crew, Jones Apparel
• Retail Stocks Perk Up

Cramer on BloggingStocks: URBN is a secular growth story originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 07 Feb 2008 08:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Merriman believes Synthesis Energy Systems Inc (NASDAQ: SYMX) is well-positioned as it begins to leverage its exclusive global license for U-GAS technology and commences the deployment of its coal-to-methanol production facilities in China. The firm started shares with a Buy rating.
• Lamar Advertising Company (NASDAQ: LAMR) was initiated with a Buy rating and $51 target at Jefferies, as they believe shares are oversold at current levels.
• William Blair believes Urban Outfitters Inc (NASDAQ: URBN) will benefit from both strong sales and a steep margin recovery in the coming two years. The firm assumed coverage of Urban with an Outperform rating.

• Lehman started United Rentals Inc (NYSE: URI) with an Equal Weight rating and $22 target.
• Credit Suisse assumed coverage of Mellanox Technologies (NASDAQ: MLNX) with a Neutral rating.
• EPIQ Systems Inc (NASDAQ: EPIQ) was initiated with a Market Perform rating at Wachovia.

Analyst initiations: Synthesis Energy, Lamar Advertising, Urban Outfitters originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 06 Feb 2008 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) shares are rising today after company representatives spoke at the 10th Annual ICR XChange Conference yesterday evening. Investors liked what they heard, based on the market's reaction today. If you think that the company won't fall by too much in the coming months, then now could be a good time to look at a bullish hedged trade on URBN.

After hitting a one-year low of $19.20 in July, the stock has hit a new one-year high today. URBN opened this morning at $24.60. So far today the stock has hit a low of $24.60 and a high of $25.36. As of 10:55, URBN is trading at $25.00, up $1.01 (4.2%). The chart for URBN looks bullish but deteriorating, while S&P gives the stock a positive 4 STARS (out of 5) buy rating.

Continue reading Urban Outfitters (URBN) on the move after presentation

Urban Outfitters (URBN) on the move after presentation originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• BMO Capital expects upside to EMC Corp's (NYSE: EMC) June quarter estimates, but only sees limited share upside from current levels. The firm started shares with a Market Perform rating and $21 target.

• Pali Research believes NetEase.com (NASDAQ: NTES) must address the discontinuity in its growth and started shares off with a Neutral rating.

• Barrington expects Wireless Ronin (NASDAQ: RNIN) to benefit from growth towards broadcasting to the outdoor component of out-of-home and views the company as an emerging growth opportunity that is starting with a strong technological base and management team. The firm started shares with an Outperform rating.

• First Albany initiated shares of GameStop (NYSE: GME) with a Buy rating, citing upside potential to 2008 estimates.

• Activision (NASDAQ: ATVI) was also initiated at First Albany, with a Buy rating, as the firm is expecting strong results and guidance...

• Jefferies initiated Polycom (NASDAQ: PLCM) with a Buy rating.

• Deutsche Bank started Zoran (NASDAQ: ZRAN) with a Buy rating.

• Stanford initiated Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ: URBN) with a Buy rating.

• Banc of America initiated Garmin (NASDAQ: GRMN) with a Neutral rating.

Analyst initiations 7-10-07: ATVI, EMC, GME and URBN originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 10 Jul 2007 10:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• JP Morgan started Crocs Inc (NASDAQ: CROX) with an Overweight rating based on the company's strong growth model.

• JMP Securities upgraded Plantronics Inc (NYSE: PLT) with a Market Perform citing price competition and visibility in the speaker market.

• MasterCard Inc (NYSE: MA) was started with an Underweight rating at Thomas Weisel citing concerns regarding increased pressure from bank issuing partners regarding fees and reduced cross border pricing benefits. Additionally,

• Thomas Weisel started American Express Co (NYSE: AXP) with an Overweight rating, expecting increased card issuance migration and merchant migration due to increased pressure on bank fees and increasing consumer demand for rewards...

• Stifel started Microsemi Corp (NASDAQ: MSCC) with a Buy rating and $28 target.

• JP Morgan initiated shares of Deckers Outdoor Corp (NASDAQ: DECK) with an Overweight rating.

• Goldman started Eastman Kodak Co (NYSE: EK) with a Neutral rating.

• Soleil initiated shares of Urban Outfitters, Inc (NASDAQ: URBN) with a Buy rating.

• United Therapeutics Corp (NASDAQ: UTHR) was initiated with a Sector Outperformer rating and $83 target at CIBC.

Analyst initiations 5-16-07: AXP, CROX, EK, MA and URBN originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 16 May 2007 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Stock screeners are tools that let investors filter through a large number of stocks according to chosen criteria. While helping investors pick stocks and narrow down options, it is important to remember that a stock screener is just a tool and every investment should be analyzed on its own merits to make sure it fits with your personal portfolio and risk characteristics. This is my weekly column that finds interesting investment opportunities with the help of our Stock Screener.

Continue reading Stock Screener: Jones Apparel's brands too mature?

Stock Screener: Jones Apparel's brands too mature? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 12 Apr 2007 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Friedman, Billings, Ramsey upgraded shares of Chico's FAS Inc (NYSE: CHS) to Market Perform from Underperform and raised their target to $25 from $17 on valuation.

• Matrix USA upgraded Live Nation (NYSE: LYV) to Hold from Sell on valuation.

• Sanders Morris upgraded Clear Channel Communications (NYSE: CCU) to Hold from Sell, as the firm believes the disapproval by holders to sell the company will result in shares trading in the $34-$37 range.

• Lehman upgraded PPL Corp (NYSE: PPL) to Overweight from Equal-Weight.

• Friedman, Billings, Ramsey continued to recommend shares of Urban Outfitters, Inc (NASDAQ: URBN) with an Outperform rating as the firm has seen consistent progress at both the company's divisions throughout March. Friedman added Urban Outfitters to its Top Picks list.

• JP Morgan raised Sonic Corp (NASDAQ: SONC) to an Overweight rating from Neutral, and believes shares have priced in softer Q2 sales that were pre-announced late-February.

• Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc (NYSE: MSO) was upgraded at Bear Stearns to Peer Perform from Underperform.

• Morgan Stanley upgraded Mylan Laboratories (NYSE: MYL) to Neutral from Sell.

• Goldman Sachs upgraded the Mortgage Insurance sector to Neutral from Cautious.

Analyst upgrades 3-27-07: Urban Outfitters, Chico's FAS & Martha Stewart upgraded today originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 27 Mar 2007 10:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• JP Morgan upgraded EMC Corp (NYSE: EMC) to Overweight from Neutral as the firm believes improved momentum in the second-half of 2007 will drive shares higher.

• Network Appliance (NASDAQ: NTAP) was also upgraded by JP Morgan, to Overweight from Neutral, as the firm believes storage will experience improving secular trends this year.

• Citigroup upgraded ImClone (NASDAQ: IMCL) to Hold from Sell and raised their target to $40 from $26 due to lower competitive threats from Amgen Inc's (AMGN) Vectibix.

• Prudential raised International Game Technology's (NYSE: IGT) rating to Neutral from Underweight, citing valuation.

• Goldman Sachs upgraded DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc (NYSE: : DWA) to Buy from Neutral with a $36 target and added DWA to their Americas Investment Buy List. Goldman believes the company's new films should drive a higher valuation.

• Wachovia upgraded Urban Outfitters, Inc (NASDAQ: URBN) to Outperform from Market Perform after a meeting with management as they believe a turnaround is well in progress.

• Wachovia upgraded Northrop Grumman Corp (NYSE: NOC) to Market Perform from Underperform on valuation.

• AG Edwards upgraded Western Union Co (NYSE: WU) to Buy from Hold with a $36 target.

• Friedman, Billings, Ramsey upgraded shares of Progressive Corp (NYSE: PGR) to Market Perform from Underperform on valuation.

Analyst upgrades 3-23-07: EMC Corp, Urban Outfitters & ImClone upgraded today originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 23 Mar 2007 11:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• JMP Securities started Research in Motion Ltd (NASDAQ: RIMM) with a Market Perform rating as the firm has concerns about RIMM's enterprise-focused prospects in the hits driven, high-end consumer market.

• Wachovia initiated BE Aerospace Inc (NYSE: BEAV) with an Outperform rating, expecting significant growth in its core businesses.

• AG Edwards started Burger King Holdings (NYSE: BKC) with a Buy rating and $25 target. The firm believes Burger King has improved fundamentals and robust future earnings potential after years of turnaround efforts.

• Raymond James initiated AnnTaylor Stores (NYSE: ANN) with an Outperform rating, Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ: URBN) with a Strong Buy rating and Charlotte Russe Holding (NASDAQ: CHIC) with a Market Perform rating.

• Caris started Medtronic, Inc (NASDAQ: MDT) with a Buy rating and $61 target.

• ThinkEquity initiated Gaming Partners International (NASDAQ: GPIC) with a Buy rating.

• Morgan Stanley initiated Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) with an Equal-Weight rating.

Analyst initiations 2-28-07: Burker King started with a flame-broiled Buy at AG Edwards originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 28 Feb 2007 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Credit Suisse upgraded Under Armor Inc (NYSE: UA) to Outperform from Neutral with a $65 target and believes that the company is emerging as one of the premier global athletic brands.

• JMP Securities upgraded shares of Cardinal Health Inc (NYSE: CAH) to Outperform from Market Perform to reflect their expectation for accelerated earnings growth over the next three years.

• Friedman, Billings upgraded shares of Urban Outfitters Inc (NASDAQ: URBN) to Outperform from Market Perform to reflect positive momentum in URBN's core division, inventory control and easy upcoming comps.

• Stanford upgraded shares of Vonage Holdings (NYSE: VG) to Hold from Sell on valuation.

• Goldman Sachs upgraded the US Homebuilding Sector to Neutral from Sell saying the worst may be behind the group, but fundamentals remain troubling. The analyst said the next meaningful data will be from the Spring selling season, 6-8 weeks away.
• Goldman upgraded D.R. Horton Inc (NYSE: DHI), MDC Holdings Inc (NYSE: MDC) & Toll Brothers Inc (NYSE: TOL) to Buy from Neutral due to lower-risk at this point in the cycle. The Ryland Group Inc (NYSE: RYL) was upgraded to Neutral from Sell.

Analyst upgrades 1-23-07: Under Armor stands tall originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 23 Jan 2007 11:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Citing tough comps and slowing consumer spending for their neutral stance, The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS) was initiated with a Sector Performer at Pacific Crest.
• Prudential initiated International Business Machines Corp (NYSE:IBM) with a Neutral rating and $100 target, and explained that Service bookings growth for the year will likely be negative and backlog growth continues to be stuck in neutral.
• Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NYSE:AMD) was started with a Sell rating and $13 target at Nollenberger, as they believe shares are "vulnerable" in 2007 in terms of CPU/GPU market share and ASP declines;
• additionally, Nollenberger started Texas Instruments Inc. (NYSE:TXN) with a Buy rating and $34 target, as they believe Texas Instruments should continue to be able to gain market share in all of its markets.

• Cowen resumed coverage of Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ:URBN) with a Neutral rating; they would look to buy shares on a modest pullback.
• Lehman Brothers initiated shares of Coldwater Creek Inc. (NASDAQ:CWTR) with an Overweight rating and $29 target.

Analyst initiations 12-18-06: DIS, IBM, AMD, TXN originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 18 Dec 2006 11:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Cisco (CSCO), and Sonic Solutions (SNIC) top today's modest-sized list of initiations.

• Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at UBS following the company's strong first-quarter earnings and guidance.
• JP Morgan upgraded Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ:SNIC) to Overweight from Neutral following the weak second-quarter results and light third-quarter guidance. The firm said weak PC demand ahead of the Vista launch has already been priced into shares of Sonic Solutions.

OTHER UPGRADES:

• Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE:WPI) was reinstated with a Sector Performer rating, up from an Underperformer rating, citing valuation.
• Urban Outfitters, Inc. (NASDAQ:URBN) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Roth Capital. The firm said expectations for Urban have come down this quarter and that news going forward is likely to be positive, not negative.

Analyst summaries provided by TheFlyOnTheWall.com (subscription required).

Analyst upgrades 11-9-06: UBS upgrades Cisco to Buy originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 09 Nov 2006 10:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.