AOL Money & Finance

pby posts

Feed

Earnings highlights: Best Buy, FedEx, Campbell, National Semiconductor, Talbots ...

Here are some highlights from last week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Best Buy, FedEx, Campbell, National Semiconductor, Talbots ...

Pep Boys tops estimates by a penny in the second quarter, comps decline

The Pep Boys -- Manny, Moe & Jack (NYSE: PBY) issued Q2 earnings on Tuesday after the bell. The aftermarket service business for automobiles, whose related companies include AutoZone (NYSE: AZO) and AutoNation (NYSE: AN), said net sales fell about 2%, and earnings per share increased 50% to 15 cents. The earnings growth was actually better than that since there were a couple of items in the previous year's quarter that benefited the bottom line.

According to Reuters, the expectation was for 14 cents per share in net income. Yep, we got the beat-by-a-penny cliche in full effect here. Management credited cost containment and service sales as drivers for the quarter.

Continue reading Pep Boys tops estimates by a penny in the second quarter, comps decline

Earnings highlights: Del Monte, Men's Wearhouse, National Semiconductor, Talbots ...

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

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Del Monte, Men's Wearhouse, National Semiconductor, Talbots ...

Movado, Navistar, Oxford and Pep Boys shares rise on Tuesday earnings reports

Shares of the following companies surged after they posted quarterly results on Tuesday.

Watchmaker Movado Group Inc. (NYSE: MOV) reported a smaller-than-expected Q1 loss as cost cutting offset weak sales due to the continued pullback by consumers of discretionary spending. Movado also surprised with a profit forecast for FY 2010. Shares rose 26.4% to close at $10.24.

Navistar International Corp. (NYSE: NAV) Q2 earnings and revenue fell short of analysts' estimates as the recession dampened demand for commercial vehicles. Navistar also slashed its forecast for the full year, and said it plans to cut costs by shifting production from Canada to Mexico. Yet shares rose 5.6% to close at $45.46.

Continue reading Movado, Navistar, Oxford and Pep Boys shares rise on Tuesday earnings reports

Cramer on BloggingStocks: The seductive pull of the early cycle

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer is seeing signs of a coming boom, but he's still being cautious here.

If you had to define the early cycle, if you had to outline what stocks should be soaring coming out of a recession into a boom and which ones should be faltering, you would have to say the action in this market in the last month is the quintessential behavioral pattern.

What are the components of the early cycle? First, it's the homebuilders. As is typical coming out of a recession, the stocks precede the bottom of housing. That's exactly what's happening with the lowest permits and highest affordability and best mortgage rates and massive inventory. Everywhere, except on Wall Street reporting, the bottom is bursting out. When you read the lead story in the Sunday Philadelphia Inquirer, and it is all about the thousands of prospective homebuyers heading south to pick up condos and homes for half of what they were worth two years ago -- or even less -- and you know that virtually no one has broken ground in the Sunshine State in a year, you can bet that the bottom's actually behind us. This housing market has wiped out all but the most stable private builders and even the public ones are merging as we know from Pulte (NYSE: PHM) (Cramer's Take) and Centex (NYSE: CTX) (Cramer's Take). So, in the next cycle, you can see some profitability developing year over year even though the new homes don't have much margin because the foreclosed homes next door are going for a song. And don't believe this won't change the dynamic of future foreclosures. In most areas, rent is higher than the interest on mortgages, so you will find that second or third job needed to stay in your home. The incentive structure's radically different than a year ago.

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: The seductive pull of the early cycle

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: LEN, LEAP, BBBY, ENR, JPM

Analyst upgrades:
  • Citigroup upgraded shares of Lennar (NYSE:LEN) to Buy from Hold on valuation as they believe the recent sell-off on concerns of fraud is overdone. The firm thinks the allegations made by Barry Minkow/Fraud Discovery Institute are unfounded and has an $11 target on shares.
  • Merriman upgraded Nautilus Group (NYSE:NLS) to Neutral from Sell after meeting with management to reflect increased optimism on the company's turnaround.
  • Baird upgraded Leap Wireless (NYSE:LEAP) to Outperform from Neutral based on valuation and strong subscriber trends.
  • Transocean (NYSE:RIG) was added to Goldman's Conviction Buy List.
  • Pearson PLC (NYSE:PSO) was raised to Neutral from Underweight at JP Morgan.
  • Smith & Nephew (NYSE:SNN) was lifted to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse.
Analyst downgrades:
  • JP Morgan downgraded Bed Bath & Beyond (NASDAQ:BBBY) to Underweight from Neutral and lowered their target to $20 from $26 as they believe potential benefits from the Linens' N Things closing are being overstated and that the risk/reward is unfavorable at current levels.
  • Keefe Bruyette downgraded Citizens Republic (NASDAQ:CRBC) to Market Perform from Outperform and cut their target to $3 from $7 to reflect the company's lower capital position.
  • UBS downgraded Energizer (NYSE:ENR) to Sell from Neutral and lowered their target to $40 from $48 citing signs of a battery price war, Wal-Mart's (NYSE:WMT) reduction in space allocation, and the company's cuts in investment.
  • Chevron (NYSE:CVX) was removed from Goldman's Conviction Buy List.
  • MetroPCS (NYSE:PCS) was lowered to Sector Perform from Outperform at RBC Capital.
  • Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO) was cut to Sell from Neutral at Piper Jaffray.
Analyst initiations:
  • Global Hunter believes Pep Boys (NYSE:PBY) is well-positioned to benefit from increased demand for replacement parts and maintenance services as new car purchases are deferred. Shares were initiated with a Buy rating and $5.50 target.
  • Jefferies started Sanofi-Aventis (NYSE:SNY) with an Underperform rating and sees downside risk to the stock from the potential introduction of Lovenox generics in the U.S.
  • Merriman assumed Alter Nrg (NYSE:ANRGF) with a Neutral rating and recommends waiting on the sidelines pending increased visibility on the company's gasification projects.
  • JP Morgan (NYSE:JPM) was re-initiated with a Buy rating at Goldman. Shares were also added to Goldman's Conviction Buy List.
  • Hudson City Bancorp (NYSE:HCBK) was assumed with an Overweight rating and $15 target at Barclays.
  • DG FastChannel (NASDAQ:DGIT) was initiated at BWS Financial with a Strong Buy rating and $30 target.

The week in preview: Chicken soup (or a doughnut) for the recession-weary soul?

In last week's preview we took a peek at expectations for Campbell Soup earnings, but now the company is scheduled to report fiscal fourth quarter results this coming Thursday. With Krispy Kreme also among the handful of companies scheduled to report this week, we may yet see whether consumers are turning to comfort foods in these uncertain times.

Campbell Soup Co. (NYSE: CPB), the world's biggest soup maker, is still expected by analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial to post net income of 25 cents per share (up 44.0% from a year ago) on revenue of $1.7 billion (up 7.4%). The Camden, N.J.-based company has just missed earnings estimates in the past few quarters. Its long-term EPS growth forecast is 7.9%, which is less than the industry average, but about the same as rivals Kraft Foods (NYSE: KFT) and HJ Heinz (NYSE: HNZ). The analysts' consensus recommendation is currently to buy Campbell.

Hip, Canadian apparel retailer Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ: LULU) is also anticipated to be a big earnings gainer when it reports this week. Net income is expected to come in at 13 cents per share (up 46.2% from a year ago) on revenue of $88.2 million (up 50.3%). Lululemon met expectations when it reported 12 cents per share in the previous quarter. Its long-term EPS growth forecast is a healthy 40.2%, which is better than the industry average and that of rival Under Armour Inc. (NYSE: UA). The analysts' consensus recommendation is currently to buy Lululemon.

Continue reading The week in preview: Chicken soup (or a doughnut) for the recession-weary soul?

Earnings highlights: Lehman, UBS, Krispy Kreme, Pepsico, Pep Boys and others

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

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Lehman, UBS, Krispy Kreme, Pepsico, Pep Boys and others

Pep Boys and Quality Systems report boosts in quarterly earnings

On Tuesday, retail auto parts and repair chain Pep Boys Manny, Moe & Jack (NYSE: PBY) reported that its fiscal first-quarter profit jumped on a gain from selling properties and then leasing them back. Meanwhile, Quality Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: QSII), a provider of software for medical and dental group practices, said its net income for the fiscal fourth quarter surged on strong maintenance revenue growth.

Philadelphia-based Pep Boys first-quarter net income rose 47% from a year ago to $4.7 million, or 9 cents per share, which included a $5.5 million net gain related to the sale-leaseback transactions.

For the quarter ended May 3, revenue fell 8% to $498 million, and same-store sales fell 5.6%.

Analysts polled by Thomson Financial, on average, had predicted a loss of 3 cents per share, on revenue of $497.2 million.

Shares rose 89 cents Tuesday, or 10.2%, to $9.62, then rose another 3 cents in after-hours trading. Shares are down 16.2% year to date.

Continue reading Pep Boys and Quality Systems report boosts in quarterly earnings

The Week in Preview: Mixed bag

At best it was a week that was difficult; at worst it was a very concerning sign about what is to come. We have finally seen a significant drop in the overall sentiment due to extraordinarily high oil prices mixed with an unemployment level at 5.5%. The mixture of these and other troubling economic projections has finally come to cause investors to pause and realize that this is no place to be accepting risk beyond what is absolutely necessary.

This week will show a significant amount of reservation by investors not accepting of any shortfalls on earnings or even outlooks that are not significantly rosy. The current picture and the economic outlook was the focus of The Disciplined Investor Podcast this week, with help from money manager and economist, Michael "Mish" Sheldock.

Monday, June 9

Shuffle Master Inc. (NASDAQ: SHFL) will be reporting earnings that are expected to be $.07 per share. This has continued to be a difficult market for them even as casino construction has been rising around the world and the use of many of the products of this company are beneficial to the net profits of their customers. The stock has suffered dramatically over the past 12 months and, unless there is a product shift or new technology announced, there should be no reason that we see a catalyst for growth. Look for revenues of $45.55 million.

Ashworth Inc. (NASDAQ: ASHW) is a high-brow retailer that is expected to show a significant turn toward the negative this quarter. First Call estimates are looking for a negative $.06 per share while a year ago they were earning $.03 per share. Once again, there doesn't seem to be any reason why this company should see a beneficial upside unless investors are willing to short cover at this point. Even if that is the case, that will probably end up being temporary anyway.

Continue reading The Week in Preview: Mixed bag

Earnings highlights: Toll Bros., National Semiconductor, Dr Pepper, Guess and others

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

See also: Earnings highlights: Wal-Mart, Lehman Bros., Take-Two, Ciena, Trina Solar and others

Also, continued real estate losses are expected to hurt the quarterly reports of banks such as like Wachovia (NYSE: WB), Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC), and National City (NYSE: NCC). And Steven Mallas wonders why Playboy (NYSE: PLA) shares have tanked since its last earnings report.

Upcoming results to watch for include Krispy Kreme (NYSE: KKD), Pall Corp. (NYSE: PLL), Pep Boys (NYSE: PBY), Korn Ferry (NYSE: KFY), and Casey's General Stores (NASDAQ: CASY).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

Earnings highlights: Wal-Mart, Lehman Bros., Take-Two, Ciena, Trina Solar and others

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

See also: Earnings highlights: Toll Bros., National Semiconductor, Dr Pepper, Guess and others

Also, continued real estate losses are expected to hurt the quarterly reports of banks such as like Wachovia (NYSE: WB), Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC), and National City (NYSE: NCC). And Steven Mallas wonders why Playboy (NYSE: PLA) shares have tanked since its last earnings report.

Upcoming results to watch for include Krispy Kreme (NYSE: KKD), Pall Corp. (NYSE: PLL), Pep Boys (NYSE: PBY), Korn Ferry (NYSE: KFY), and Casey's General Stores (NASDAQ: CASY).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

Analyst upgrades: POT, CSG and ZRAN

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Potash, Cadbury Schweppes and Zoran were today's noteworthy upgrades:
  • Citigroup upgraded shares of Potash (NYSE: POT) to Buy from Hold and raised its target to $178 from $141 to reflect their expectation for a more bullish outcome from the ongoing China Potash contract negotiations.
  • Cadbury Schweppes (NYSE: CSG) was raised to Overweight from Neutral at JP Morgan to reflect the company's takeout potential and cash returns.
  • Oppenheimer raised its rating on Zoran (NASDAQ: ZRAN) to Outperform from Perform on valuation, as they believe the recent weakness is overdone.
OTHER UPGRADES:
  • Pep Boys (NYSE: PBY) was upgraded to Market Weight from Underweight at Thomas Weisel.
  • JMP Securities upgraded Actuate (NASDAQ: ACTU) to Strong Buy from Outperform.
  • Goldman raised Broadcom (NASDAQ: BRCM) to Buy from Neutral.

Analyst upgrades: SI, SPIL and PALM

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Siemens , Siliconware Precision and Palm were today's noteworthy upgrades:
  • Goldman upgraded Siemens AG (NYSE: SI) to Buy from Neutral and views shares as defensive in the current environment.
  • Merriman upgraded shares of Siliconware Precision (NASDAQ: SPIL) to Buy from Neutral on valuation, as they believe the negative sentiment regarding the U.S. economy is already priced into shares.
  • JP Morgan upgraded Palm (NASDAQ: PALM) to Overweight from Underweight citing new smart-phone products expected in 2008 and stronger-than-expected Centro sales.
OTHER UPGRADES:
  • Pep Boys (NYSE: PBY) was raised to Neutral from Underperform at Credit Suisse.
  • Jefferies upgraded Pioneer Drilling (NYSE: PDC) to Buy from Hold.
  • Deutsche Bank upgraded Cablevision (NYSE: CVC) to Buy from Hold.

Analyst upgrades: DPL, IACI, FFIV, CYH and PMTC

MOST NOTEWORTHY: DPL Inc, IAC/InterActiveCorp, F5 Networks, Community Health and Parametric Technology were today's noteworthy upgrades:
  • Baird upgraded DPL Inc (NYSE: DPL) to Outperform from Neutral following better-than-expected guidance.
  • Citigroup upgraded IAC/InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ: IACI) to Buy from Hold as they believe HSN's turnaround, Lending Tree's stabilization and Ask's profitability ramp should drive EBITDA growth acceleration in 2008. The company was also upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Lehman following IAC's better-than-expected Q3 report.
  • Citigroup upgraded shares of F5 Networks Inc (NASDAQ: FFIV) to Buy from Hold, as they believe now is the time to buy the stock with sentiment at a low-point heading into an attractive 2008 product cycle.
  • Stifel raised its rating on Community Health Systems Inc (NYSE: CYH) to Buy from Hold based on improved visibility from detailed 2008 guidance.
  • Kaufman upgraded Parametric Technology Corporation (NASDAQ: PMTC) to Buy from Hold based on an impressive quarter and favorable industry trends.
OTHER UPGRADES:

Next Page >

Symbol Lookup
IndexesChangePrice
DJIA+20.0310,246.97
NASDAQ-2.982,151.08
S&P 500-0.071,093.01

Last updated: November 10, 2009: 09:59 PM

BloggingStocks Exclusives

Hot Stocks

DailyFinance Headlines

Latest from BloggingBuyouts

WalletPop Headlines

AOL Business News

BioHealth Investor Headlines

Sponsored Links

My Portfolios

Track your stocks here!

Find out why more people track their portfolios on AOL Money & Finance then anywhere else.

BloggingStocks Partners

More from AOL Money & Finance