The new earnings season doesn't kick off until Alcoa (AA) reports its first-quarter results on April 11, but a few stragglers are still reporting their earnings for the previous quarter this week. The most prominent earnings reports on tap are Wednesday's results from Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) and from Monsanto (MON). Here's what analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect to see.

Bed Bath & Beyond

During its fiscal fourth quarter, the nation's largest domestics retailer opened new stores and its CEO sold shares. Analysts anticipate that the New Jersey-based company will report per-share earnings of 97 cents, an increase of 11.3% from the same quarter of last year. The company also is expected to post revenue of $2.4 billion for the three months that ended in February, a 6.3% rise from a year earlier.

Continue reading Week in Preview: Bed Bath & Beyond, Monsanto and Pier 1 Earnings

Week in Preview: Bed Bath & Beyond, Monsanto and Pier 1 Earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 03 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

NASDAQ OMX (NDAQ), Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) offered $42.50 per share to acquire NYSE Euronext (NYX). April and June call option implied volatility is at 22; below its 26-week average of 32 according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement.

Pier 1 Imports (PIR) April put option implied volatility is at 58, June is at 54; near its 26-week average of 56 according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price movement into the expected release of Q4 results on April 7.

Options Update is by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Options Update: NYSE Euronext Volatility Decreases on NASDAQ OMX and ICE Proposal originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• NYSE Euronex (NYX) to conviction buy from neutral at Goldman.
• General Dynamics (GD) to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• Deere (DE), Parker-Hannifin (PH) and ExlService (EXLS) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Aflac (AFL) to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.
• Wynn Resorts (WYNN) to buy from neutral at Janney Capital.
• Amdocs (DOX) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Juniper (JNPR) to buy from hold at ThinkEquity.
• Rudolph Tech (RTEC) and KLA-Tencor (KLAC) to perform from underperform at Oppenheimer.
• Hershey (HSY) and Pinnacle Entertainment (PNK) to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• Spirit AeroSystems (SPR) to equal weight from underweight at Morgan Stanley.
• Micron (MU) to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AFL, DE, DOX, GD, GS, HSY, ITT, MS, NYX, TXN, UBS, WYNN ...

Analyst Calls: AFL, DE, DOX, GD, GS, HSY, ITT, MS, NYX, TXN, UBS, WYNN ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Alcoa Inc. (AA) received an analyst's downgrade ahead of its earnings report due to pricing pressures in 2011.
• American Eagle Outfitters Inc. (AEO) disappointing earnings guidance offset sales numbers to depress shares.
• Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) shares hit a new 52-week high after it reported strong Q4 results and offered guidance.
• Constellation Brands Inc. (STZ) posted a narrower net loss for Q4 and offered lower-than-expected guidance.

Continue reading Earnings Highlights: Target, Pier 1, Monsanto, Family Dollar, Bed Bath & Beyond

Earnings Highlights: Target, Pier 1, Monsanto, Family Dollar, Bed Bath & Beyond originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 10 Apr 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Pier 1 Soars Following Earnings Report

Pier 1 Soars Following Earnings Report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 08 Apr 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Pier 1 Imports Fourth Quarter Earnings Preview

Pier 1 Imports Fourth Quarter Earnings Preview originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 07 Apr 2010 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The so-called cruelest month has begun. And this coming week's economic calendar for the U.S. starts off with the ISM nonmanufacturer's survey results for April and NAR's pending home sales for February on Monday morning. This glimpse at the service and housing sectors will be followed by March's consumer credit numbers Monday afternoon. Then things are pretty quiet until Friday's release of factory orders and wholesale trade numbers for February.

Between the Monday and Friday economic numbers will come the release on Tuesday of the minutes of the March 16 FOMC meeting, a record of the Fed's most recent thinking on monetary policy.

Continue reading The Week in Preview: A Quiet Start to the Cruelest Month

The Week in Preview: A Quiet Start to the Cruelest Month originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 04 Apr 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Williams-Sonoma (WSM), a retailer of high-end merchandise whose concepts include Pottery Barn and West Elm, reported results for the fourth quarter earlier today. If you were trading this name ahead of the numbers, you made out, because the market gave this stock a nice bid on the news.

On an adjusted basis, net income came in at 86 cents per share; the company made 31 cents per share in the comparable period on the same basis. According to our preview, the bottom line beat estimates by twelve pennies. Total sales revenue increased 8%. Same-store sales jumped a very attractive 7.6%; the metric was down double-digits last time around.

Continue reading Williams-Sonoma Popular with Investors After Q4 Report

Williams-Sonoma Popular with Investors After Q4 Report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.A) announced improved results year over year, with book value up nearly 20%.
• BJ's Wholesale Club Inc. (BJ) Q4 earnings were in line with expectations but guidance for the year fell short.
• Cbeyond Inc. (CBEY) received an analyst's downgrade and lowered price target following its Q4 results.
• Costco Wholesale Corp. (COST) strong Q2 results fell short of analysts' estimates and shares declined.
• Dress Barn Inc. (DBRN) said it swung to a profit in Q2 and same-store sales increased, and it raised its outlook.

Continue reading Earnings Highlights: Berkshire Hathaway, Costco, Safeway, Staples, Wendy's ...

Earnings Highlights: Berkshire Hathaway, Costco, Safeway, Staples, Wendy's ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 06 Mar 2010 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Some big names setting new highs today: STAR, GG, PIR, EBAY

Some big names setting new highs today: STAR, GG, PIR, EBAY originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Memphis-based package delivery giant FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) is generally seen as an indicator of the state of commerce in the U.S. Last week, not only did the Fed's Beige Book report suggest that the economy had stabilized over the summer, with signs of recovery in some districts, But FedEx also boosted its earnings guidance due to stronger-than-expected volume in its international priority-delivery service. So a question going in to FedEx's fiscal first-quarter report this week is whether the company is still a bellwether.

For the three months that ended in August, when FedEx opened distribution hubs in Chicago and Toledo and declared a quarterly dividend, analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters are looking for it to report that earnings fell 60.2% from a year ago to $0.49 per share. That's also down 23.4% from the previous quarter, as well as less than the recently updated outlook. First quarter revenue is expected to be down 18.3% from a year ago to $8.2 billion.

Continue reading The week in preview: Is FedEx still a bellwether?

The week in preview: Is FedEx still a bellwether? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 13 Sep 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Kicking off Q3 with a win (AIG, BIIB, LDK, PIR, RAD)

Closing Bell: Kicking off Q3 with a win (AIG, BIIB, LDK, PIR, RAD) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Pier 1 Imports (NYSE: PIR) hit the rock bottom price of 10 cents per share in early March as the market bottomed.

Now two months later, PIR trades around $2.00 per share. In early May, the stock gained more than 10% as it regained compliance with the New York Stock Exchange.

I can appreciate the enthusiasm for PIR and its turnaround play, but there is still a lot of risk here.

Continue reading Consumer stocks to sell now: #2 -- Pier 1 Imports (PIR)

Consumer stocks to sell now: #2 -- Pier 1 Imports (PIR) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 06 Jun 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While consumer confidence might have soared in April, the move seems to be in response to a two-month surge in stocks versus any real strength on the home front.

The jobs market is still poor with stagnant or declining wages. Corporations are still in lay-off mode and oil prices are marching ever higher. In other words, there are still hurdles to overcome before the "all clear" can be given.

I don't mean to rain on the parade of recovery, but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves.

Continue reading The consumer confidence con: Five consumer stocks to sell now

The consumer confidence con: Five consumer stocks to sell now originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 06 Jun 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A new earnings reporting season kicks off this coming week with the quarterly report from Alcoa, the first Dow Jones industrial to report. But investors looking for early signs about the first quarter will be disappointed in what they see from the aluminum producer, assuming that analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters are neither too optimistic or too pessimistic about those results.

Continue reading The week in preview: Alcoa kicks off a new earnings season

The week in preview: Alcoa kicks off a new earnings season originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 05 Apr 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Back in February, Pier 1 Imports (NASDAQ: PIR) announced that it would close up to 125 underperforming stores, depending on its ability to renegotiate leases with landlords.

A month and a half later, the tough economy is paying off for Pier 1 -- at least in its efforts to negotiate with landlords. The company announced yesterday that it will close fewer than 80 stores -- a drop of at least 30% from the original number.

Continue reading Recession holds a silver lining for Pier 1 Imports -- for now

Recession holds a silver lining for Pier 1 Imports -- for now originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 22 Mar 2009 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Pier 1 Imports announces layoffs and store closings

Pier 1 Imports announces layoffs and store closings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 09:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

There's no doubt that retailers are struggling to stay in business. This is creating a "tug of war" between retailers who are leasing space in shopping centers and mall owners who are also struggling to keep stores from closing and creating added vacancies.

Some mall owners are having to refinance debt coming due to stay open. Just to point out how dire circumstances are, General Growth Properties, the country's second largest mall owner warned that it may be forced to file for bankruptcy if it cannot reschedule its huge debt. On Wall Street, the prices of REIT's (real estate investment trusts) have fallen by 44% during the past year (added: as a Dow Jones index tracking 22 REITS indicates).

Now, on the other side, retailers are trying to renegotiate their leases to lower their overhead. These include such names as Office Depot (NYSE: ODP), Chico's Fas Inc. (NYSE: CHS), Pier 1 Imports Inc. (NYSE: PIR), and The Gap (NYSE: GPS). Some mall owners are helping retailers by lowering "square feet" prices in their leases, while others are saying "no."

Vacancy rates are rising and some analysts are predicting that a growing number of mall owners will default on their mortgages and thereby put additional pressure on our banking system.

Do you own a business in a shopping mall? What are your present circumstances?

Retailers vs. mall owners: Who is winning? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Stock picks and pans for troubled times: ATVI, MCD, WMT, WSM, AMGN, AEO ...

Stock picks and pans for troubled times: ATVI, MCD, WMT, WSM, AMGN, AEO ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It seems so astonishing that it can't be true, but there are experts who believe that 25% of American retailers could fail over the course of the next year or two. According to The Wall Street Journal (subscription required), "AlixPartners LLP, a Michigan-based turnaround consulting firm, estimates that 25.8% of 182 large retailers it tracks are at significant risk of filing for bankruptcy or facing financial distress in 2009 or 2010."

If an extremely large number of retailers do close, the job loss could be incredible. Troubled retailer Pier 1 (NYSE: PIR), which trades at $0.33, has more than 6,100 employees. Rite Aid (NYSE: RAD), which also trades at $0.33, has over 60,000. If several medium-sized to large store chains move into bankruptcy, hundreds of thousands of jobs will be at stake. This does not include more modest-sized operators.

The retail industry is critical to the American economy. If it falls apart rapidly, it helps put the recession into a deeper downward spiral. Retail employees lose jobs and then are no longer consumers. With fewer consumers, more retailers and other business fail. Tax income for municipal, state, and the federal governments is also undermined, putting pressure on government employment.

The jobless rate my be close to 7% now. The retail part of the economy could move that number up quite a bit all by itself.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

Could 25% of American retailers fail? (RAD) (PIR) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 28 Dec 2008 06:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.