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Investors in JCPenny (JCP) were treated to a nice rally yesterday after the company announced a major strategic shift. The department store retailer is deviating from the long-time tradition of artificially high prices and continual “discounting” – opting instead to adopt an “everyday low price” structure. Yesterday’s announcement included a plan to spend $800 million [...] Poor natural gas bulls. The general public has been patiently bullish on natty for years now, with the kind of fervor that makes you hear unsolicited “buy natural gas” tips from taxi cab drivers in local diners. (That actually happened to me, when a guy at the counter found out I was a trader.) Thing [...] This week we received monthly sales figures from a number of key outlets and the results were very interesting… The overall level of holiday sales were below 2010 levels but more importantly, there were significant differences between the types of retailers that did well or fell behind. Last week we laid out five themes for [...] “Ugg” – That’s the sound of Deckers investors checking their account balance today… The stock is down 8% in early morning trading after a downgrade by Sterne Agee. The boutique research firm noted that its channel checks indicate a weak environment for Deckers Outdoor (DECK) UGG boots. According to the report, individual retailers are seeing [...] Luxury homebuilder Toll Brothers (TOL) announced fiscal fourth quarter earnings this morning – offering a positive perspective for the home construction industry… For the fourth quarter (ending October 31), the company reported earnings of 9 cents per share, beating analyst expectations of 5 cents. Revenue was up 6.3%, hitting $427.8 million – also above the [...] On Friday, Groupon Inc. (GRPN) officially debuted as a public company. The first day of trading was a major success with the stock closing 31% above its offering price. Groupon’s successful IPO pricing is a good indication that investors still have a robust appetite for speculative growth opportunities. So despite the major macro risks in [...] A disappointing earnings announcement from Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) this morning is weighing on today’s market. The near $70 billion dollar construction and mining equipment maker actually beat revenue expectations, but investors are bailing out based on an earnings miss and guidance from management that was somewhat more cautious than what analysts were expecting. For the [...] The economic recovery is stalling… Unemployment stats are no longer declining and actually ticked higher in June. Consumer sentiment is dropping. And retailers are resorting to aggressive discounting and promotions to move inventory off their shelves… But don’t tell that to Harley-Davidson (HOG) – whose shares hit a new recovery high this week. The company [...] As we strap into the turret for another week of trading, the Middle East crisis continues to take center stage. In Libya, Moammar Gadhafi continues to cling to power, even as the opposition expands their area of control. Saudi Arabia has indicated they will step up production to meet any supply disruptions from Libya, meanwhile [...] This report was sent to subscribers on January 26, 2011. Join our free mailing list to receive actionable SIR information 48 hours before it is posted for the public… EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: • Unemployment remains stubbornly high, with headline statistics only revealing part of the underlying labor weakness. • Higher prices for key staples like food [...] After a relentless period of bullish action – and the lowest volatility seen since pre-financial crisis days, last week’s action indicates that the bears may still have a pulse. (However, the Chicago Bears can now settle back and rest up for next year…) So many cautions investors have finally capitulated, casting reservations aside and re-entering [...] This report was sent to subscribers on January 12, 2011. Join our free mailing list to receive actionable SIR information 48 hours before it is posted for the public… EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: • Legal precedents are being set in foreclosure cases, leaving banks as unsecured lenders. • Lack of job growth means residential loan portfolios continue [...] Today marks the unofficial start to earnings season with Alcoa Inc. (AA) leading off with their report card for the fourth quarter after the close. By the end of the week, we will have heard from heavyweights Lennar Corp. (LEN) – homebuilding, Intel Corp. (INTC) – technology, and JPMorgan Chase (JPM) – financial… a handful [...] If the first few days of trading are any indication, solar stocks are poised to rebound sharply in 2011. During the first week in January, a number of key industry names have already broken higher out of various basing patterns, and the strong fundamentals are likely to attract attention from both growth and value investors. From [...] So 2011 is off to a bullish start… The year began with positive manufacturing and construction data, giving the bulls an opportunity to celebrate. But in Monday’s “risk-on” session, one industry was curiously quit. Restaurant stocks were relatively soft, despite what should have been positive news for broad consumer spending. Whenever the broad market moves [...] |
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