Top Ten Retailer Stocks On Black Friday

November 29, 2013 by Paul Ausick

holiday shopping
Source: Thinkstock
Retailers are well into their Black Friday shopping day by now and we thought we’d take a look at how the stocks at ten leading retailers are reacting to early news of shopper enthusiasm. Recall that the National Retail Federation is forecasting that 140 million shoppers will hit the bricks this weekend, a decline from an estimated 147 million who were searching for Black Friday bargains last year.

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) has been offering Black Friday deals all week and is now gearing up for Cyber Monday. Shares are trading about 1.5% higher just before noon on Friday at $392.17 after hitting a new 52-week high of $393 earlier this morning. The stock’s 52-week low is $242.75.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) announced this morning that it had rung up 10 million cash register transactions between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. The store also claimed that it served up 400 million page views at its website yesterday. Protests at 1,500 of the company’s stores are also underway today. Shares are trading up fractionally at $80.97 after posting a new 52-week high of $81.34 earlier. The stock’s 52-week low is $67.37

Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) reported robust crowds for its early opening on Thanksgiving Day, but did not provide any numbers. The stock is trading down about 0.7% at $63.97 in a 52-week range of $58.01 to $73.50.

J.C. Penney Co. Inc. (NYSE: JCP) may have the most at stake of any retailer this weekend. Crowds were reported to be sparse at stores that opened Thursday night, but at least one report said that crowds kept trickling in all night. The stock is down about 0.2% at $10.06 in a 52-week range of $6.24 to $23.10. Penney’s stock has gained nearly 11% in the past five trading days.

Macy’s Inc. (NYSE: M) opened on Thanksgiving evening for the first time this year and the company’s CEO told Bloomberg TV this morning that 15,000 people were waiting to get into the company’s flagship store in Herald Square. The stock price is down about 06.% now after posting a new 52-week high of $54.07 earlier. The 52-week low is $36.30.

Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ: COST) did not open at all on Thanksgiving and is open normal hours on Black Friday. The store does have a few specials for its member-customers, but “doorbuster” is not in the company’s vocabulary. The stock is up about 0.2% at $125.59, near the top of its 52-week range of $96.51 to $126.12.

Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY) appears to be overcoming its role as a place where customers check out the stuff and then buy the product they want online (“showrooming”). The company is competing hard with Amazon on pricing and has implemented a price-matching guarantee as well. The stock is up nearly 1.5% at $40.16 in a 52-week range of $11.20 to $44.66.

Sears Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: SHLD) has said nothing about store traffic at either its Sears or Kmart locations. Like Penney’s, Sears needs a blockbuster holiday season to convince both management and investors that it remains a viable company. Doesn’t look like good news, though, as the stock is down about 2.2% at $62.33 in a 52-week range of $38.40 to $67.50.

The TJX Companies Inc. (NYSE: TJX), like Costco, remained closed on Thanksgiving. The company has been one of the best performers in the retail sector over the past year with its stock price up almost 45%. No word from the company on traffic or sales at its T.J. Maxx and Marshall’s Stores. Shares are down about 0.1% at $63.22 in a 52-week range of $40.98 to $64.09.

Kohl’s Corp. (NYSE: KSS) opened most stores at 8:00 p.m. last night and won’t close again until midnight tonight. The company has not had anything to say yet about its Thanksgiving Day traffic, nor has there been any claim for Black Friday success. The stock is down about 0.7% at $55.57 in a 52-week range of $41.35 to $59.00.

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