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Whole Foods Market: Time to Buy or Sell?

Steven Mallas — Thu, 13 May 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Earnings Reports, Whole Foods Market (WFMI)

Whole Foods Market (WFMI) has been one heck of a nice investment over the last 12 months. The 52-week low is $17.16; the 52-week high is $40.70. The company reported its second-quarter numbers on Wednesday after the bell, and once the traders took a look at the data, they decided to push the stock even higher. It reached $42.85, which means that the stock was up over 6% from yesterday's close of $40.25.

Of course, we'll have to see what Thursday's regular session brings for the company. No matter what, though, I'm sure many players want a reason to bet on this business. The one-year chart shows an upward trend, albeit with one big rough patch in the middle.

Continue reading Whole Foods Market: Time to Buy or Sell?

Whole Foods Market: Time to Buy or Sell? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 13 May 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Closing Bell: Another Win (BRK.B, SIRI, CSTR, DE, WFMI)

Jon Ogg — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:10:00 EST

Filed under: Sirius Satellite Radio (SIRI), Whole Foods Market (WFMI), Deere and Co (DE)

Today saw mixed economic data in housing and in industrial production, yet the market rose again. The notion that a fed-exit policy is slowly forming had no significant impact on stocks and mush of the traffic still seems earnings-related.

Here were today's unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow 10,309.24 +40.43 (0.39%)
S&P 500 1,099.51 +4.64 (0.42%)
Nasdaq 2,226.29 +12.10 (0.55%)

Top Analyst Upgrades/Downgrades
Top Stock & Market Rumors

Continue reading Closing Bell: Another Win (BRK.B, SIRI, CSTR, DE, WFMI)

Closing Bell: Another Win (BRK.B, SIRI, CSTR, DE, WFMI) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Obama stock #4: Whole Foods Market (WFMI)

Jamie Dlugosch — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Consumer Experience, Whole Foods Market (WFMI), Obama Picks

Michelle Obama has made healthy eating a priority in her role as first lady. Her emphasis on the earth-to-table approach to dining emphasizes local and organic ingredients -- and fits squarely with the mission of Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFMI).

Obama's White House garden is great top-of-mind stuff and demonstrates the value of a healthy lifestyle. It may not be for everyone, but there will be enough followers that will think more and more about going organic.

Continue reading Obama stock #4: Whole Foods Market (WFMI)

Obama stock #4: Whole Foods Market (WFMI) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 14 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Inflation bites: Tough times ahead for Whole Foods

Bruce Watson — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:13:00 EST

Filed under: Consumer Experience, Competitive Strategy, Whole Foods Market (WFMI)

Recently, the Environmental Working Group stated that celery is one of the so-called "Dirty Dozen," the twelve most contaminated fruits and vegetables on the market. As I was chewing on a piece of celery at the time, I began to notice the bitter overtones of what I assumed was a nasty chemical fertilizer. I began to wonder if it might be sarin or perhaps some dioxin derivative. Completely unable to enjoy my snack any longer, I resolved to find some organic celery.

After a long and fruitless (vegetable-less?) search, I finally broke down and decided to go to Whole Foods (NASDAQ: WFMI) . There, tucked into an extensive and impressive collection of colorful veggies, I found what I was looking for: fresh, organic celery. The price? $4.99.

To be honest, if I'm paying $4.99 for a vegetable, I expect it to pick my daughter up from daycare and maybe help out with the rent. I'm used to paying between $1 and $1.25 for a bunch of celery, which made Whole Foods' prices seem like a particularly tasteless joke. However, rather than throw the celery to the ground and loudly denounce Whole Foods as a bunch of money-grubbing ripoff artists, I politely returned the bunch to the counter and left.

There were two reasons for my restrained response: first, I'm saving up my first arrest for something special, like picketing Anne Coulter's funeral, and there's no way I'm getting carted off for yelling at a bunch of celery opportunists. The second reason is that I wasn't really all that surprised. You see, I've gotten used to Whole Foods' massively inflated prices and somewhat snotty attitude.

Continue reading Inflation bites: Tough times ahead for Whole Foods

Inflation bites: Tough times ahead for Whole Foods originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 08 May 2008 11:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Investing in Colorado: Vail Resorts (MTN), Dynamic Materials (BOOM), Newmont Mining (NEM)

Trey Thoelcke — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Newmont Mining (NEM), Commodities, Stocks to Buy

Where can you find the "Wall Street of the West?" In Colorado, of course -- specifically, Denver's 17th Street financial district.

Colorado's economy has come a long way from its foundation on trapping and mining. Denver's location, equidistant between Los Angeles and Chicago, between Seattle and New Orleans, has helped the Centennial State become the economic center of Rocky Mountain states -- even Denver's time zone and elevation help it keep in touch with the rest of the world. It's no wonder there's a large federal government presence in the state (U.S. Air Force Academy, NORAD, NOAA, Denver Mint, U.S. Geological Survey).

Companies such as Lockheed-Martin (NYSE: LMT), Qwest Communications (NYSE: Q), Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA), Molson Coors (NYSE: TAP), and Crocs (NASDAQ: CROX) offer a sense of the diversity of the state's economy. And so do the three companies examined here: Vail Resorts Inc. (NYSE: MTN), Dynamic Materials Corp. (NASDAQ: BOOM), and Newmont Mining Corp. (NYSE: NEM).

Continue reading Investing in Colorado: Vail Resorts (MTN), Dynamic Materials (BOOM), Newmont Mining (NEM)

Investing in Colorado: Vail Resorts (MTN), Dynamic Materials (BOOM), Newmont Mining (NEM) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 20 Nov 2007 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Judge opines on the messy Wild Oats (OATS) buyout

Tom Taulli — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Deals, Whole Foods Market (WFMI), Kroger Co (KR), Safeway Inc (SWY)

Antitrust is always tough to predict. The laws are sketchy -- and markets can change quickly. Besides, politics can play a big role.

That's why the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)'s antitrust lawsuit -- on the Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFMI) and Wild Oats Markets (NASDAQ: OATS) linkup -- is so interesting.

The FTC believes that the transaction will reduce competition and, as a result, be harmful to consumers.

However, federal Judge Paul Friedman doesn't think so. In fact, yesterday we got his 93-page opinion on the matter (according to a report in Reuters).

Continue reading Judge opines on the messy Wild Oats (OATS) buyout

Judge opines on the messy Wild Oats (OATS) buyout originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 22 Aug 2007 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watering down the definition of organic

Zac Bissonnette — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 18:10:00 EST

Filed under: Newspapers, Scandals, Columns, Whole Foods Market (WFMI)

I'm not an expert on organic food, but this seems sort of weak: "The Department of Agriculture, the final arbiter of all things organic, is poised to approve a list of non-organic ingredients that can be used in food stamped with its green-and-white organic seal."

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the whole point of organic food that the ingredients are organic? The organic advisory board recommended that 38 non-organic ingredients be added to a list of substances allowed in organic foods. Some complain that, while this may not be a significant event by itself, it's indicative of efforts by big businesses to water down the definition of organic to increase profits.

The industry and regulators must walk a tight line. Making minimal adjustments that don't change the meaning of organic substantially could make products more affordable for more Americans. That's good for everyone -- farmers, retailers, and consumers.

On the other hand, changing it to the point where organic no longer means anything (sort of like "homemade," which means nothing) would kill the industry.

Assuming the changes are made with little public outcry, it could be good for companies like Whole Foods Market, Inc. (NASDAQ: WFMI), which could see a decrease in its cost of goods. Passing the savings onto the consumer would result in more organic shoppers. As of right now, many Americans really can't afford to shop organic. Lowering prices could change that.

Watering down the definition of organic originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 12 Jun 2007 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Organic grocery wars get heated: will Whole Foods fix a broken Wild Oats?

Sarah Gilbert — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 22:55:00 EST

Filed under: Consumer Experience, Rants and Raves, Competitive Strategy, Wal-Mart (WMT), Johnson and Johnson (JNJ), Kellogg Co (K), Whole Foods Market (WFMI), Safeway Inc (SWY)

I've been in love with natural foods grocers since I was a little girl, when Fred Meyer opened a little mini-store dedicated to raw peanut butter, tofu, wheat germ and a dozen different kinds of bulk grains. The store had candy bars made out of honey and I loved it. Since then, my understanding for and appreciation of the natural grocer has grown up with the industry; from the cute little small-town co-op where I shopped in college, to the Fresh Fields (acquired, and already assimilated by, Whole Foods Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:WFMI)) I fell in love with in Philadelphia during business school, to the discovery of the Portland, Oregon New Seasons chain when I moved "back home" in 2001. I noshed at every quick-service franchise that jumped on the healthy foods wagon, from spirulina-spiked smoothies to bagels loaded with sprouts and hummus.

Natural and organic grocers always seemed like the nice (if a bit militant) guys, interested in supporting the local farmer, providing non-toxic food and diapers for our babies, striving to make sure our bodies were healthy and our baths were perfumed with chamomile and lavendar. And then 2005 happened.

Suddenly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc (NYSE:WMT) was in the organic grocery game. Safeway Inc. (NYSE:SWY) started its own line of "O" organic foods. Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) created a line of herbal-infused babycare products and Kellogg Company (NYSE:K) launched organic Rice Krispies and Corn Flake s. Big business had figured it out and suddenly it wasn't smelling much like chamomile and patchouli. No. It smelled more like war.

With the news yesterday that Whole Foods was set to acquire Wild Oats Markets (NYSE:OATS), the war seems ever more bitter.

Continue reading Organic grocery wars get heated: will Whole Foods fix a broken Wild Oats?

Organic grocery wars get heated: will Whole Foods fix a broken Wild Oats? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 22 Feb 2007 22:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Whole Foods may bite off more than it can chew

Victoria Erhart — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 18:33:00 EST

Filed under: Earnings Reports, Analyst Reports, Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades, Press Releases, Whole Foods Market (WFMI)

Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ:WFMI) announced on Wednesday February 21, 2007, that it intends to purchase rival organic and natural food supermarket Wild Oats -- based in Boulder, Colorado. The entire transcript of the announcement is available at the company's website (www.wholefoodsmarket.com).

Agreed, the natural and organic foods market is growing as more and more people become concerned about the harmful chemicals and lack of inspection mechanisms in our food chain. Also agreed, that Whole Foods is currently enjoying an increase in both sales and revenue. According to information released by the company as part of its 1Q 2007 earnings report, sales increased 12% to $1.9 billion. Whole Foods currently has 174 stores, the vast majority in the U.S. Average weekly store sales were up 6% to $620,000. Average number of weekly transactions increased 5% to 3.2 million. The average ticket size was up 2% to $34.43. For a full rundown on the facts and figures see the 1Q 2007 press release.

Given all the good financial news plus Whole Foods' intention to purchase Wild Oats for $565 million, investors pushed the stock up on Thursday February 22, 2007, 13.2%. Shares closed up $6.04 at $51.74. Enjoy that brief ride. S&P put Whole Foods on credit watch and may adjust the company's BBB-debt rating even lower to below investment quality unless Whole Foods can finance the purchase of Wild Oats without taking on $106 million in additional debt.

Whole Foods may bite off more than it can chew originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 22 Feb 2007 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Selling a farm-fresh lifestyle in a box

Sarah Gilbert — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 16:02:00 EST

Filed under: Consumer Experience, PepsiCo (PEP), Marketing and Advertising

I'm a libraphile (is that the word?) and I began filling my children's shelves with books years before I had even purchased my first pregnancy test. By far my favorite image in any book is the overleaf of Blueberries for Sal, a bucolic and all-blue illustration of Sal and her mother. They are canning blueberries in a 40s-era kitchen, complete with hand-cranked egg beater, polka-dot curtains, and a cast-iron wood cooking stove. Every time I gaze at that picture I believe for a second that I will go downstairs and preserve something in one of the old-fashioned Ball jars I found at a garage sale.

Alas, it never quite happens that way, but just reading the book makes me feel connected to the farm-wife ideal. Much like a wander through today's grocery store aisles. As Kim Severson mentions in today's New York Times, she feels smug when she puts a bag of Cascadian Farm organic French fries in her grocery cart (she calls is "greenwashing" and the marketers call it "an authentic narrative"): "a gentle image of a field or a farm ... suggest[s] an ample harvest gathered by an honest, hard-working family." And in creating these images for us, in selling us the hard-working farm family, marketers know that just for a minute we've left our wired, fossil-fuel-guzzling lives for a hand-hewn pine kitchen table in that log house in Maine.

In short, we're being sold our ideal lifestyle in a box, bag or can.

Continue reading Selling a farm-fresh lifestyle in a box

Selling a farm-fresh lifestyle in a box originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 04 Jan 2007 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The organic market's bet on Wal-Mart and Costco

Brian White — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 16:15:00 EST

Filed under: Rumors, Products and Services, Launches, Industry, Consumer Experience, Internet, Competitive Strategy, Wal-Mart (WMT)

I've written on the topic of Wal-Mart's entry into the offering of organic foods and produce before. Some people think that Wal-Mart's scale alone will diminish the quality and status of the organic foods marketplace, and others think that the entry of healthy organic foods into Wal-Mart stores will transform obesity in the U.S. to a thing of the past, more or less. Whatever your opinion, make no mistake: organics are coming to Wal-Mart and other bix-box stores like Costco in increasing numbers.

But, with the sheer quantity needed to supply all these Wal-Mart stores, organic produce and food suppliers are going to have to transform the entire industry to take on this new super-challenge. You have more fields, you invest in three to four times as much property -- which in organic produce-producing California is not cheap -- and these organic foods suppliers suddenly are "betting the farm" on the long-term sustainability of Wal-Mart carrying and growing the organic segment for a long time.

What if this does not happen? What if customers choose not to embrace organic, healthy eating in droves like Wal-Mart expects so that it can grow revenue and recruit a new customer base? An entire industry could plummet rather quickly. Generally, any good business plan has a disciplined growth strategy that includes multiple backup scenarios and redundancies to prevent something like this from happening.

It's another example of the power Wal-Mart has -- and yes, it's nearly bankrupted companies like Rubbermaid before who gave too much of their business to the retailer. Will the organic industry befall the same fate? Let's hope not, but as an industry, the plan needs to start, well, yesterday.

The organic market's bet on Wal-Mart and Costco originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 10 Jul 2006 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Weekly wrap-up for Wal-Mart: June 5 to 9

Brian White — Sun, 11 Jun 2006 13:50:00 EST

Filed under: After the Bell, Deals, Rumors, Products and Services, Consumer Experience, Competitive Strategy, Wal-Mart (WMT)

Well, this week brought generally the same movement of WMT stock that's been seen for quite a while. In other words, as the Wal-Mart annual shareholder meeting and several growth-related announcements apparently wore off, WMT shares closed this past Friday at $47.13 ($0.17, or 0.36%), down just a little from Thursday's close.

With an apparent Supercenter victory this past week along with a blatant rejection (everything's tentative, of course), the big story from many people's point of view (including mine) was Wal-Mart's forthcoming full-on entry into the organic foods market as it needs to in order to grow sales to customers who increasingly are looking for non-processed and healthier food offerings.

The only potential trouble with this is that as Wal-Mart increases is buying power into the rather-small (comparatively) organic foods market, can this be harmful to 1) the organic industry (how will they keep up with a possible exponential increase in demand) and to 2) the organic customer, who now enjoys a rather expensive but much more healthier food selection at smaller food stores (and some big chains like Whole Foods). Stay tuned to wmt. bloggingstocks.com, as there is quite a bit more to come in this arena.

Weekly wrap-up for Wal-Mart: June 5 to 9 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 11 Jun 2006 13:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Will Wal-Mart's entry into the organic food industry hurt the industry?

Brian White — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 12:40:00 EST

Filed under: Products and Services, Industry, Consumer Experience, Internet, Competitive Strategy, Wal-Mart (WMT)

The time-tested rule of thumb always comes to pass in the business world -- the selective niches some customer segments have high prices (which niche customers will pay), high demand and lower overall supply. This happens in consumer electronics (think of Bang & Olufsen), cars (Mercedes comes to mind), and now, organic foods at the supermarket.

Organic foods are made mostly by smaller companies that take pride in producing fresh and semi-processed foods that the health-conscious consumer will be willing to pay extra for. Until recently, you wouldn't see much (if any) selection of organic foods in major supermarket chains like Publix, Wal-Mart and Kroger. But the tide is changing -- customer demand is making these supermarket giants take a look at offering all kinds of organic products.

There is a universal issue here, however: Can these smaller manufacturers keep the organic quality they now have while increasing production to huge levels to satisfy potential demand from large, national chains?

The existing organic consumer ~~probably~~ ~~most likely~~ definitely does not want organic to go mainstream. When mass production takes hold, quantity rules supreme over quality -- there is not a case history in business where this is not true in my opinion.

So, if customer demand is driving Wal-Mart to start offering of organic products, where does that leave the existing organic customer? With the "certified organic" label meaning process certified (not "product" certified), the organic moniker may become diluted to a point where it's somewhat meaningless -- especially as large chains go nuts offering these products to grow customer bases. While Wal-Mart definitely has a piece of its growth plan tied up in offering new products, the informed organic consumer may need to pay more attention shortly.

Will Wal-Mart's entry into the organic food industry hurt the industry? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 07 Jun 2006 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Wal-Martization of organics: will they ever be the same?

Sarah Gilbert — Mon, 08 May 2006 19:51:00 EST

Filed under: Products and Services, Consumer Experience, Newspapers, Rants and Raves, Competitive Strategy, Wal-Mart (WMT)

Organics are in the news. Over the weekend, consumers were paying attention to whether major organic milk producers are really honoring the spirit of organic foods, and last week, media outlets were buzzing about how just about every mainstream grocery store is launching its own organic foods line, from Safeway to SuperValu. Organics are getting cheaper, and the move by huge retailers to expand organic offerings may mean that the demand for pesticide-free goods will change the way farmers in the U.S., and elsewhere, operate.

Nowhere is the presence of organic products more incongruous than on Wal-Mart shelves. Wal-Mart is doubling the amount of organic produce in its grocery shelves for its shoppers "convenience" (and, one would imagine, to allow the retailer the ability to charge more -- and pocket higher margins as a result). The chain is also offering organic cotton clothing and organic baby formula. And while a few customers are surely happy, it seems, the larger response is... oh, no.

I feel your pain, oh ye people who are committed to organics. And I have to ask: is Wal-Mart, by trying to do good, actually doing bad?

Continue reading The Wal-Martization of organics: will they ever be the same?

The Wal-Martization of organics: will they ever be the same? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 08 May 2006 19:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wal-Mart continues growing organic food lineup based on customer demand

Brian White — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 14:07:00 EST

Filed under: Good news, Competitive Strategy

Organic baby food tops the list of organic food additions recently seen at Wal-Mart, the "low price" leader. Customer demand for many organic foodstuffs, including produce selections and packaged foods, has grown recently and it's great to see Wal-Mart respond to this request, although organic foods are anything but "low price". Low price is generally reserved for processed-food, nutritionally-deplete wares from Kraft, ConAgra, P&G and other large food manufacturers.

Will Wal-Mart grow it's organic selection enough to break into the frontiers of organic store pioneers such as Whole Foods and Trader Joes? Unlikely - but their recent additions are a good start.

Wal-Mart continues growing organic food lineup based on customer demand originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 17 Apr 2006 14:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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