Analyst Upgrades

• Philip Morris (PM) to conviction buy from buy at Goldman.
• Peet's Coffee (PEET) to neutral from sell at Janney Capital.
• Cephalon (CEPH) to equal weight from underweight at Morgan Stanley.
• StoneMor Partners (STON) to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.
• Tibco (TIBX) to buy from underperform at BofA/Merrill.
• Apollo Group (APOL) to outperform from market perform at BMO Capital.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: APOL, CEPH, DELL, GCI, GOLD, KSS, LEN, PEET, PM ...

Analyst Calls: APOL, CEPH, DELL, GCI, GOLD, KSS, LEN, PEET, PM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Kohl's (KSS - option chain) shares are rising today after the company reported Q4 earnings this morning, posting a profit of $493 million, or $1.66 per share, on revenue of $6.04 billion. Both numbers matched analysts' estimates. KSS forecast Q1 earnings of 68 to 73 cents per share on revenue of $4.20 to $4.28 billion. Analysts have forecast earnings of 72 cents per share on revenue of $4.19 billion. KSS also initiated a quarterly dividend of 25 cents per share, the first in the company's history, which is always something that investors love to see. If you think that the stock 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 KSS.

Continue reading Kohl's to Start Paying Dividend

Kohl's to Start Paying Dividend originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Retailer Kohl's Corp. (KSS) shares have retreated slightly since hitting a high near $58, but just look on that dip as an opportunity to scoop up shares.

Kohl's is a retail sector winner amid the most challenging economic conditions for retailers in decades.

Kohl's same-store sales will likely increase about 5% to 6% in this year, FY2012, along with decent traffic. Kohl's also plans to open about 40 new stores. How many other retail chains are opening stores in a big way in 2011? Very few.

Continue reading Kohl's: Retail Sector Survivor and Winner

Kohl's: Retail Sector Survivor and Winner originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Diamond Offshore (DO) to conviction buy from sell and Baker Hughes (BHI) to buy from neutral at Goldman.
• Frontier Communications (FTR) to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• Syntel (SYNT) to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo, to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank and to buy from neutral at Janney Capital.
• Kulicke & Soffa (KLIC) and Fiserv (FISV) to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.
• 3M (MMM) to neutral from underweight and Tyco (TYC) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Collective Brands (PSS) and Nordstrom (JWN) to overweight from equal weight, as well as Foot Locker (FL) to equal weight from underweight, at Morgan Stanley.
• Amazon.com (AMZN) to buy from hold at Lazard Capital.
• Yamana Gold (AUY) to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: APC, AMZN, CME, DO, GPS, H, JCP, JWN, KSS, PM SYNT ...

Analyst Calls: APC, AMZN, CME, DO, GPS, H, JCP, JWN, KSS, PM SYNT ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This week, JCPenney (JCP), Kohl's (KSS) and Macy's (M) are the first of the major retailers to report results for the most recent quarter.

Macy's launched an American Express credit card and increased its mobile presence during the fiscal fourth quarter. The analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters forecast Macy's earnings for that period come to three cents per share, which compares to a net loss of three cents per share in the same period of last year. The Cincinnati-based department store operator is expected to post revenue of $5.6 billion for the three months that ended in October, which is 5.2% more than a year earlier. For the full year, the forecast calls for earnings of $1.50 per share (+6.7%) and $8.2 billion in revenue (+4.3%). Macy's earnings results have been better than expected in recent quarters by a penny or a few per share.

Continue reading Week in Preview: Macy's, Priceline, Others Kick Off Retail Earnings

Week in Preview: Macy's, Priceline, Others Kick Off Retail Earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 07 Nov 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Retailer Kohl's (KSS) has announced that its September same-store sales increased 3%. While this is generally good news, the increase was short of the expected increase of 3.3%. On the other hand, the company's total sales increased a respectable 5.3%.

The company also announced Thursday that it believes it will hire more than 40,000 associates during the holiday season. This estimate is a 20% increase over last year's holiday hiring (33,000 employees). These employees will work at stores, distribution centers, and credit operations, averaging 20 hours per week. Perhaps this means that the company expects to do a bit more selling this year.

Continue reading Kohl's Same-Store Sales Increase in September

Kohl's Same-Store Sales Increase in September originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 07 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Options Update: Yahoo! Volatility Increases originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 06 Oct 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Option traders appear to be setting up for a bullish move on Market Vectors Agribusiness ETF (MOO). Traders plowed into 2,601 new call option contracts -- 20.81 times the average volume -- on the stock on Wednesday. And we know that traders were eager to get into this trade because 89% of the trades came in on the ask price.

The ETF closed Wednesday at $45.60, up 4.35% during the past month.

Continue reading Option Traders Betting on Agriculture and the British Pound

Option Traders Betting on Agriculture and the British Pound originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I first wrote about Kohl's (KSS) on April 28, 2009, at a price of $43.82, and shares of the retailer have retreated in bear-hug fashion this summer after hitting a high near $59. Typically, that would be a danger sign, but I'm sticking with the play. Here's why.

Look for Kohl's same-store sales to increase 5% to 6% in this year, FY2011, after a roughly flat FY2010.

Kohl's is a moderate-price retailer that held its own during the recession, and will now benefit from increased spending per customer, as Americans gradually increase dollars allocated to optional, retail purchases.

Continue reading Has Kohl's Pull-Back Created an Opportunity?

Has Kohl's Pull-Back Created an Opportunity? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

JCPenney (JCP) fell to a new 52-week low of $20.20 Friday morning after its second-quarter results included weaker-than-expected full-year earnings estimates.

JCPenney said growth of store and Internet sales, as well as tightly controlling expenses, resulted in record-level gross margins for the period. Earnings totaled $14 million, or 6 cents per share, in the quarter, compared to a loss of $1 million, or break-even per share, in the same quarter of last year. Analysts' estimates were topped by a penny per share.

Continue reading JCPenney Falls to 52-Week Low on Weak Guidance

JCPenney Falls to 52-Week Low on Weak Guidance originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The one-year chart for Kohl's (KSS) isn't impressive. Traders certainly made some money from the pattern, but longer-term investors probably aren't too pleased. And if they aren't pleased about that chart, then they certainly aren't too happy about this afternoon's price action.

The stock is down over 3% at the time of this writing, coming in at a quote of $46.28. The sell-off is backed by substantial volume. More bad news, sorry to say: the shares are closer to the 52-week low of $45.29 than they are to the 52-week high of $60.89. Considering the pullback, should we now look at the retailer as an attractive bet?

Continue reading Kohl's Under Pressure

Kohl's Under Pressure originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Federal Open Markets Committee (FOMC) meets again on Tuesday. Though the August meeting of the FOMC is generally uneventful, this time there is speculation about whether the FOMC will resort again to some quantitative easing -- a way of pumping additional money into the financial system.

Fed chairman Ben Bernanke has already hinted at such a move, given that economic growth has clearly slowed. Last week's disappointing employment numbers are the latest confirmation of that. The question is whether the Fed's decision to take action will happen at this week's meeting, perhaps aggravating deflation fears, or it may wait until the September meeting, at which point it risks impacting the upcoming mid-term elections.

Continue reading The Week in Preview: FOMC Meeting, Consumer Sentiment, Retail Earnings

The Week in Preview: FOMC Meeting, Consumer Sentiment, Retail Earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 08 Aug 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Kohls Dips on Weaker-Than-Expected June Sales

Kohls Dips on Weaker-Than-Expected June Sales originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 08 Jul 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Macy's Gets an Upgrade

Macy's Gets an Upgrade originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage on BloggingStocks:

• Blockbuster Inc. (BBI) Q1 net loss was in line with estimates and same-store sales declined, shares also fell.
• CA Inc. (CA) shares sold off on high volume following the Q4 earnings miss and disappointing guidance.
• Cigna Corp. (CI) reported better-than-expected Q1 earnings and higher revenue, and reaffirmed its full-year outlook.
• Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) beat Q3 earnings and revenue expectations in the "strongest quarter in our history."
• Dean Foods Co. (DF) lower Q1earnings beat analysts' estimates, but shares fell on heavy volume afterward.
• Denny's Corp. (DENN) bested consensus estimates and year-ago EPS by a penny, but said same-store sales fell.

Continue reading Earnings Highlights: BBI, CI, CSCO, DIS, DISH, ERTS, JCP, M, NVDA, PCLN, WEN, WFMI ...

Earnings Highlights: BBI, CI, CSCO, DIS, DISH, ERTS, JCP, M, NVDA, PCLN, WEN, WFMI ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 15 May 2010 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Macy's Inc. (M) is trading higher today. With a little less than two hours to go before the close of the regular session, the retailer, whose competitors include The Gap Inc. (GPS) and Kohl's Corporation (KSS), was higher by 63 cents, or 2.6%, to $24.53. Volume was healthy.

The stock isn't far from the 52-week high of $25.25. The 52-week low is $10.27, so the equity has come a long way since it was stuck in the doldrums. The one-year chart shows a reasonably attractive uptrend. Earlier today, the company reported its Q1 numbers. How did they look?

Continue reading Macy's Improves in Q1: Is It a Buy?

Macy's Improves in Q1: Is It a Buy? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 12 May 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Last week's retail sales numbers were encouraging. And some shopping mall favorites take their turns in the earnings spotlight this week: JCPenney (JCP), Nordstrom (JWN), Urban Outfitters (URBN), Kohl's Corp. (KSS) and Macy's (M). Overall, analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect to see earnings growth from these retailers for the first quarter.

Texas-based department store operator JCPenney declared a quarterly dividend and tendered a debt offering in its first quarter. Earnings for that period are expected to have more than doubled from a year ago to $0.24 per share. Revenue for the three months that ended in April, however, is expected to have inched up 1.4% in the past year to $3.9 billion. And analysts expect to see year-over-year earnings and revenue growth in the second quarter. JCPenney's per-share earnings have come in within pennies of consensus estimates in the past five quarters, beating by two cents in the fourth quarter.

Continue reading The Week in Preview: Eye on Retail -- JCPenney, Nordstrom, Urban Outfitters, Kohl's, Macy's

The Week in Preview: Eye on Retail -- JCPenney, Nordstrom, Urban Outfitters, Kohl's, Macy's originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 09 May 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Target (TGT) ended yesterday's trading session over 3% higher from where it began. That may not sound like the greatest increase ever, sure, but consider that the stock hit a new 52-week high ($56.44) during the intraday session, and that the volume backing the bid was well above the norm; now, what do you say?

I say it makes the business an interesting investment idea. The strength of the price action was backed by a positive change in some of the fundamentals. According to MarketWatch, the chain's same-store sales increase of 10.3% in March beat analysts' projections of 7.8%. Also, management's outlook for a Q1 profit of 84 cents per share was 9 cents higher than current estimates.

Continue reading Target Price Action Looking Good After Sales Report

Target Price Action Looking Good After Sales Report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 09 Apr 2010 09:00:00 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.