Tuesday morning, Sears Holding (SHLD) released a bit of good and a bit of bad news. Let's start with the bad news.

The retailer announced that its same-store sales dropped 1.7% during December. The company's eponymous Sears stores saw December same-store sales fall 6%, more than offsetting Kmart's 2% growth. The firm blamed the sales drop at Sears on a major decline in sales of consumer electronics, along with appliances and tools.

Continue reading Sears Same-Store Sales Slump in December, Forecasts Strong Q4 Earnings

Sears Same-Store Sales Slump in December, Forecasts Strong Q4 Earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Tech giant Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) held an investors meeting Tuesday afternoon, during which it offered a bullish 2011 forecast.

The company now sees full-year 2011 profit to be in the range of $5.05 to $5.15, better than the $4.99 that analysts had previously forecast for the year.

Revenues are expected to be in a range of $131.5 billion to $133.5 billion, which is also higher than analyst forecasts for $131.4 billion.

Continue reading Hewlett-Packard Sees Strong 2011 Forecast

Hewlett-Packard Sees Strong 2011 Forecast originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Nike Third Quarter Earnings Preview

Nike Third Quarter Earnings Preview originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Natus Medical (BABY) announced Wednesday morning that it will eliminate about 50 jobs as part of a reorganization plan. The medical device maker is attempting to rein in costs following its acquisition of Alpine Biomed Holdings. As part of the restructuring, Alpine's operations in Montreal, Canada, will be relocated to Natus Medical's Xltek facility in Ontario.

Due to the job cuts, Natus will swallow a restructuring charge of roughly $2.5 million for the first quarter. As a result, the company now expects 2010 earnings per share of 45 cents to 47 cents, down from its previous forecast for full-year earnings of 49 cents to 51 cents per share. Excluding that charge, earnings are expected to arrive between 60 cents to 62 cents per share.

Continue reading Natus Medical Slashes Jobs, Earnings Outlook

Natus Medical Slashes Jobs, Earnings Outlook originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 13 Jan 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It is shaping up to be a very rough day for Electronic Arts (ERTS), as the company has lowered its full-fiscal-year guidance for a second time in two months.

Electronic Arts expects to report a loss of $1.94 to $2.24 per share, which is far greater than the earlier-estimated loss of $1.20 to $2.05 per share. Revenue is now expected to total $3.6 billion to $3.68 billion, a narrower range than the previously forecast $3.6 billion to $3.9 billion. Taking one-time charges out of the equation, Electronic Arts expects earnings of 40 to 55 cents per share compared to its earlier forecast for 30 cents to a dollar per share. Furthermore, Electronic Arts estimated a third-quarter loss of 24 cents to 32 cents per share on revenue of $1.23 billion to $1.25 billion.

Continue reading Electronic Arts Lowers Its Full-Year Forecast ... Again

Electronic Arts Lowers Its Full-Year Forecast ... Again originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Late yesterday, Marvell Technology (NASDAQ: MRVL) reported a lower second-quarter profit, thanks to a large drop in sales amid struggles throughout the chip sector. That said, the company did vault higher after its announcement, thanks to its sales forecast.

The chipmaker reported second-quarter earnings of nine cents per share, down from 11 cents per share a year ago. Adjusted quarterly income checked in at 18 cents per share. Quarterly revenue slipped to $640.6 million, which was down from $842.6 million in the second quarter a year ago. Expectations called for earnings of 13 cents per share on revenue of $615 million.

Continue reading Marvell Technology jumps after its earnings report and forecast

Marvell Technology jumps after its earnings report and forecast originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading PetSmart's first-quarter profit increases 12%

PetSmart's first-quarter profit increases 12% originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 21 May 2009 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Caterpillar shares dig lower after its earnings report

Caterpillar shares dig lower after its earnings report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading American Electric Power cutting full-year outlook

American Electric Power cutting full-year outlook originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 31 Mar 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Yesterday, payroll specialist Paychex (NASDAQ: PAYX) reported that its third-quarter profit dropped 8%. The company saw investment losses offset gains in other areas, resulting in earnings of 36 cents per share.

A year earlier, PAYX raked in 39 cents per share. Quarterly revenue checked in at $528.6 million, 1% lower than a year ago. Analysts expected earnings of 36 cents, but revenue was forecast to total $536.9 million.

Continue reading Paychex sees quarterly revenue slip 8%

Paychex sees quarterly revenue slip 8% originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Tiffany 4Q profit falls, but the jeweler keeps its shine

Tiffany 4Q profit falls, but the jeweler keeps its shine originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 23 Mar 2009 09:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Texas Instruments narrows its 1Q revenue and earnings

Texas Instruments narrows its 1Q revenue and earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 10 Mar 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) gets big lift from Q4 forecast

Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) gets big lift from Q4 forecast originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) sure is a downer. I was starting to feel a little better about the market when it decided to say some bad things about the upcoming earnings season. Thanks a lot, Goldman! According to this Bloomberg article, Goldman believes that earnings for companies will be, overall, very bad, and that the broad market will be brought down by them. Already, reports by General Electric (NYSE: GE) and Alcoa (NYSE: AA) have rocked Wall Street -- and not in a good way, let me tell you. Goldman's David Kostin is, in fact, disagreeing with other analysts who believe that the quarter won't be so terrible; he also thinks the S&P 500 will be lower by the end of the year by perhaps 6%.

So, what does this tells us as investors? First of all, let me say that I think the guy has a point -- when you see GE miss like it did on 4/11, you've got to take notice and be on your guard. In other words, if you're planning on doing some cute buy-a-stock-just-before-it's-about-to-report trading, be extra careful! Now is not the time to take ridiculous chances with investment capital. If you are going to do it, make sure you do it with extra-safe stocks -- then again, if GE wasn't a worthwhile trade in the category I just described, what the heck qualifies for "extra-safe" this quarter? Probably not much. All of us have to realize that the recession is, most likely, real, and that stocks are going to be difficult equities to own.

Continue reading If Goldman is correct, then maybe I should just sleep through earnings season...

If Goldman is correct, then maybe I should just sleep through earnings season... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Minneapolis-based food maker General Mills Inc. (NYSE: GIS) announced today that it is raising its fiscal 2008 earnings guidance on higher-than-expected sales growth and cost cutting. For fiscal 2008, ending in May, General Mills expects earnings per share of $3.45 to $3.47. The previous range had been $3.39 to $3.43 per share, and analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial had expected $3.45 per share.

Despite raising grain prices, General Mills has seen strong results from such products as Oat Cluster Crunch cereal, Progresso soups, and Fiber One bars.

Continue reading General Mills raises 2008, 2010 forecasts

General Mills raises 2008, 2010 forecasts originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 19 Feb 2008 14:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Harley-Davidson Inc. (NYSE: HOG) recently revised downward its 1Q 2007 and FY 2007 guidance due to a nearly month-long strike at its York, PA manufacturing plant. The strike was finally settled in late February but the damage has already been done. Instead of shipping 82,000-84,000 motorcycles as had been planned prior to the strike, Harley will ship 64,000-66,000 motorcycles, a loss in production of 18,000 units. That's a lot of disappointed HOG loyalists who will have to spend more time on the waiting list for a bike. Although Harley will increase production in coming months, its still predicts a shortfall of 14,000 units for FY 2007.

As a result of the loss in production, Harley management forecast only moderate growth, lower margins and 4-6% EPS. Harley predicts a return to double-digit EPS growth rate by 2008. Due to the recent labor troubles, the stock has taken a beating. Prior to the strike, the stock traded right around $75 per share. Harley-Davidson stock closed at $63.54, up $.24 on March, down almost 15% since the beginning of the year.

Harley-Davidson not running hog wild originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 09 Mar 2007 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX) issued a weaker than expected forecast for Q3 2006 revenue and earnings, based primarily on problems associated with its pacemakers and defibrillators. These were the products manufactured by Guidant Corporation which Boston Scientific acquired in April 2006 for $27.5 billion. At the time of acquisition, Boston Scientific knew of at least 500 cases against Guidant in the U.S. The suits have since been consolidated. The suits allege that Guidant's cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators are defective and have the possibility to cause harm or death to patients in whom they have been implanted. Boston Scientific has set aside $381 million for legal defense costs, but still does not have an accurate estimate of the cost to settle all the suits related to Guidant's defective products. Also, Boston Scientific's own product, a drug-coated cardiac stent used to open clogged arteries, has suffered a decline in sales as heart surgeons turn to alternative devices perceived to have a lower risk of causing blood clots.

Q3 sales had originally been estimated at $2.18 billion, but have been revised downwards to just under $2 billion. Q2 stent sales in the US were $429 million, but Q3 sales are forecast to drop to $375 million. Global stent sales for Q2 were $647 million, but Q3 global stent sales are forecast to be approximately $565 million.

Boston Scientific stock lost 9% on Friday, 22 September, closing at $14.85, down $1.51. Do not look for an improvement in Boston Scientific's stock performance until the suits are settled or a ballpark settlement estimate has been made public.

Boston Scientific in need of medical attention originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 25 Sep 2006 10:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.