Beth Gaston Moon
Chicago, IL - http://
With over a decade of experience as an editor and market analyst, Beth Gaston Moon writes about stocks and pop culture from her home in Chicago, IL.
Bed Bath & Beyond on the move after earnings
Leading domestics retailer Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBY) closed more than 9% higher today after the one-two punch of a well-received earnings report and a brokerage upgrade. The company announced first-quarter results of 34 cents per share, a whopping nine cents better than analysts were expecting. Revenue edged 2.8% higher year over year. The one gray lining was same-store sales numbers, which drifted 1.6% lower during the reporting period. Reacting to this after-the-close earnings report, Cowen & Co. upgraded the shares this morning to "neutral" from "underperform." The brokerage noted that BBBY has been able to cut advertising expenses now that its chief competitor, LInens n' Things, has filed for bankruptcy. Cowen also notes that BBBY has reduced its payroll expenses.
Continue reading Bed Bath & Beyond on the move after earnings
Six Flags bankrupt, but the rides will go on
Over the weekend, Six Flags Inc. (OTC: SIXF) announced it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy (cue sad-trombone noise here). The company was saddled with $2.4 billion in debt and is taking this opportunity for a fresh start. None of the company's 20 parks -- located throughout North America -- will be closed. All Six Flags employees still have jobs, as well, so potential patrons should not feel as though corners are being cut.
Six Flags spokeswoman Sandra Daniels told the press that "This restructuring will have no impact on families who come out to our parks."
Continue reading Six Flags bankrupt, but the rides will go on
After earnings report, lululemon in downward-dog pose
Athletic apparel company Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ: LULU) struck a pose in the earnings confessional today, announcing revenue and earnings per share for the fiscal first quarter. Net revenue jumped 6% to $81.7 million, while same-store sales slipped 8% lower. Profit, meanwhile, fell to $6.5 million, or nine cents per share, down from 12 cents in the year-earlier period but one penny ahead of analysts' estimates.
Continue reading After earnings report, lululemon in downward-dog pose
Coke Zero, dangerous? Venezuela says yes
It's bad enough that Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) killed its C2 brand a few years ago -- I still have one memorial (empty) can I keep in my china cabinet for posterity. Now Coke Zero, the soft-drink behemoth's alternative for those of us that don't quite dig the Diet Coke taste, poses a "danger to health" in South America? What the what?
Yesterday, the Venezuelan government ordered Coca-Cola to pull the Coke Zero brand from the country's shelves, claiming unspecified health risks. The nation's health minister simply said that the zero-calorie fizzy drink "should be withdrawn from circulation to preserve the health of Venezuelans."
Continue reading Coke Zero, dangerous? Venezuela says yes
Short interest back on the rise
For the first time in two months, short interest increased on the major exchanges from the May 15 - May 29 period. On the NYSE, the overall number of shorted shares rose 1% to 15.29 billion; Nasdaq short interest rose 3.6% to 6.6 billion shares. The NYSE short-interest ratio reached 2.7, while the Nasdaq's ratio hit 3.1. The short-interest ratio can be loosely defined as the number of days, at the average daily trading volume, it would take to buy back all shares currently sold short.
This potentially indicates a turning tide toward bearishness after a March-May period that was painful for the short sellers and others maintaining a bearish disposition. With the S&P 500 Index moving back to challenge the 950 area, the bears may becoming a bit more brave. Are we range-bound, do we have further to run, or are we setting up for another correction phase? Share your thoughts in the comments field.
Beth works for The Options News Network (www.ONN.tv), which provides daily stock and options commentary. The above comments are not intended as trading advice.
Fifth Third, AutoZone ballparks named vegetarian-friendly
"Take me out to the ballgame, take me out to the crowd ... Buy me some peanuts and ... tofu dogs?" Several years ago, if you were a baseball fan and a vegetarian, you were practically out of luck, left to dine on nachos, French fries, and the occasional cotton candy. But as we are becoming a less carnivorous society, some ballparks are choosing to adapt, adding veggie-friendly items to their menus.
Last week, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) released its list of the top 10 vegetarian ballparks. Making the list were Citizens Bank Park, home of the Phillies, as well as AT&T (NYSE: T) Park, where the San Francisco Giants play, and Atlanta's Turner Field - home of the Brave(s).
Continue reading Fifth Third, AutoZone ballparks named vegetarian-friendly
McDonald's reports gain in global same-store sales
In my mind, there is no better cure for the common cold or the slight hangover (sorry, Mom!) than McDonald's (NYSE: MCD). Egg and cheese biscuit for breakfast, old-fashioned McNuggets for lunch, and I'm a new woman. Apparently folks around the world have stuffy noses or pounding headaches, because the burger baron saw its same-store sales rise 5.1% in May. This improvement comes despite continued economic pressures and an increase in unemployment.
Business overseas was better for McDonald's than stateside sales. Europe saw a 7.6% rise in same-store sales, compared to just 2.8% in the United States. Highlights for American business included coffee beverage, which exceeded expectations, and the Southern Style Chicken Biscuit and Sandwich (the former of which is another of my favorites).
Continue reading McDonald's reports gain in global same-store sales
Borders, Barnes & Noble need you to kill your television
Twilight and Harry Potter sales notwithstanding, there's a growing reality in our fair nation -- people just don't read like they used to. And with the slowdown in reading comes a definite decline in book sales.
The Book Industry Study Group reported that publishers sold fewer books in 2008, down 1.5% from 2007 to 3.08 billion. Of course, all was not lost -- total revenue edged 1% higher thanks to increased prices.
Continue reading Borders, Barnes & Noble need you to kill your television
Cisco, Travelers join the Dow
After weeks of speculation - Apple! Amazon! Nike! Toyota! -- all became clear today when General Motors Corporation's (NYSE: GM) exodus from the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) made room for... Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO). While perhaps not as sexy a name as, say, Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), it does add one more tech name to the venerable 30-stock average. Wall Street Journal Managing Editor Robert Thomson released a statement noting that CSCO made the cut "because its communications and computer-networking products are vital to an economy and culture still adapting to the Information Age -- just as automobiles were essential to America in the 20th Century." So there's the connection!
Continue reading Cisco, Travelers join the Dow
Saks (SKS) and Nordstrom (JWN) out of fashion at Credit Suisse
Things aren't looking so luxurious for the shareholders of Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE: JWN) and Saks Inc. (NYSE: SKS) today. Shares of both of these upscale department-store chains are seeing red today following negative words from Wall Street. As Eric Buscemi noted this morning, JWN was cut to "underperform" from "neutral" at Banc of America/Merrill Lynch. Nordstrom was also sliced to "neutral" from "outperform" at Credit Suisse, citing valuation and concerns about the environment for mall anchors. Credit Suisse did maintain its price target of $22.
Continue reading Saks (SKS) and Nordstrom (JWN) out of fashion at Credit Suisse
TiVo tops estimates, but ...
TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO) programmed some time for itself in the earnings confessional this afternoon, announcing first-quarter earnings results that topped analysts' estimates.
Service and technology revenue totaled $48.5 million, edging out Street expectations of $48.2 million. TiVo posted a net loss of $4.1 million, or four cents per share, two cents better than the six-cent loss analysts were expecting. Results were lower, however, in comparison to the company's year-ago profit of $3.6 million, or four cents per share. TiVo added 37,000 subscribers in the period (down from 48,000 in last year's first quarter) and churn rate was 1.4%.
Continue reading TiVo tops estimates, but ...
Rumor mill: Playboy has a new suitor in the form of Richard Branson
The latest white knight that may swoop in to rescue Playboy Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: PLA) comes in the form of an eccentric British billionaire -- Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin Group, which includes Virgin Atlantic Airways, Virgin Media, and dozens of other businesses. I'm going to refrain now from making an obvious joke playing on the supposedly colliding notions of "Virgin" and "Playboy." A UK newspaper is saying this week that Branson could be interested in scooping up the house that Hefner built, potentially as part of his Virgin Media group. (Update: Reuters reported the afternoon of May 28 that Virgin Media Group is not interested in buying Playboy). PLA shares, which hit a low of $1.15 in March, are currently trading at $3.18 -- up 6.7% today amid buyout hopes. The company's current market cap is about $106 million, making the beleaguered but iconic brand a relative bargain for the right buyer.
Continue reading Rumor mill: Playboy has a new suitor in the form of Richard Branson
Cree (CREE) rallies on improved guidance
Last night, after the markets closed, Cree Inc. (NASDAQ: CREE), manufacturer of LED (light-emitting diodes) lighting technology, boosted its guidance for the fourth quarter, adjusting both earnings and revenue numbers.
The company expects to bank $143 million to $150 million in revenue for the current quarter, above the firm's earlier guidance of $137 million to $143 million. This translates to earnings per share of 15 to 17 cents, up from an earlier forecast of 13 to 15 cents (excluding items). Gross margins are expected at the high end of targeted levels (around 38% for the period).
Looking further down the horizon, CREE officials expect continued growth. CEO Chuck Swoboda said in a statement, "We . . . remain optimistic about the growth potential for LED lighting in fiscal 2010."
Continue reading Cree (CREE) rallies on improved guidance
Will the new Indian McDonald's (MCD) serve two all-soy patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese?
Does the word "McVeggie" seem like an oxymoron to you? No, it's just the latest way McDonald's (NYSE: MCD), the fast-food behemoth that made its name serving cheap hamburgers, is adapting to the world's demands. In an effort to expand more into Indian markets, where vegetarianism is the common lifestyle, McDonald's has devised a menu completely lacking in beef and pork. According to IndiaMarks, an online guide to "everything India," some of the items featured on Indian McDonald's menus include:
- McVeggie: Vegetarian patty with all the fixings on, yes, a sesame-seed bun.
- McAloo Tikki: Vegetarian patty made from potatoes and peas, garnished with tomato and vegetarian mayonnaise.
- Paneer Salsa Wrap: Paneer (homemade cheese) breaded and fried, then topped with a salad mixture, veggie mayo, and cheese.
- Veg McCurry Pan: Similar to pizza, this is crust topped with sauce and vegetables.
- Pizza McPuff: A crust stuffed with tomoato-based sauce, vegetables, and mozzarella cheese.
Tourism slumping in Macau
Las Vegas isn't the only gaming mecca struggling for numbers; Macau saw the number of visitor arrivals to its shores drop 3.5% in April to about 1.87 million. For the first four months of the year, visitor arrivals by land have dropped 15.5% on a year-over-year basis, while arrivals by air are slumping as well, off 5.9% for the first third of 2009. Total visitor arrivals in 2009 are down 8.1% from the same time period last year.
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