Posts for Ticker ‘HD’

The Hardest Working Brands for 2009: The Year Of The Dog

A look at the “hardest working” major brands for 2009 shows that a number of them belong to companies which have done poorly and, in at least one case, may file Chapter 11. This is due to the definition of a hard-working brand, which is based on the ratio of its value to the market capitalization of its parent company.

CoreBrand reviewed the top 100 hardest working brands for the final quarter of 2009.  Their researchers point out that “the food industry moves to the top of the list, reflecting the economy and the general improvement of consumer staples businesses. Hershey’s (HSY), Campbell Soup (CPB), and Kellogg (K) make it into the top 5.” On the other hand “troubled industries like financial services and auto manufacturers have seen dramatic decline.”

Harley-Davidson (HOG) is in the top 10 among the hardest working brands. Before rumors of a buy-out, the motorcycle firm’s stock languished at $25, down from $42 less than two years ago. Harley’s stock trades for a low 1.2 times sales. Also near the top of the list is crippled book retailer Barnes & Noble (BKS), which trades for .3 times sales. Blockbuster (BBI) is in the top 25, with a ratio of .1x sales. The firm said in its 10-K that it is at risk for filing Chapter 11.

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24/7 Wall St.’s Corporate Power Rankings (Week 10)

The 24/7 Wall Street Corporate Power Rankings of the thirty-two most important companies in America are determined by earnings, analyst rankings, important corporate news, trends in each firm’s industry, product introductions, management strength and changes, and credible rumors. It is, in effect, a new version of the DJIA.

The Corporate Power Rankings are released at midnight on each Sunday based on performance during the previous week.

McDonald’s (MCD) sharp improvement in same-store sales moved it to the top of the list. Google (GOOG) was beaten down by its probably decision to exit China.  Ford, which has been near the top of the list, what hurt by news that Toyota (TM) has posted strong sales in the early days of March

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24/7 Wall St.’s Corporate Power Rankings (Week 9)

The 24/7 Wall Street Corporate Power Rankings of the thirty-two most important companies in America are determined by earnings, analyst rankings, important corporate news, trends in each firm’s industry, product introductions, management strength and changes, and credible rumors. It is, in effect, a new version of the DJIA.

The Corporate Power Rankings are released at midnight on each Sunday based on performance during the previous week.

Apple took the top spot as its market cap moved toward $200 billion and it set April 3 to launch the iPad.  Ford moved into second place as its February sales topped GMs for the first time in 12 years.

Home Depot dropped to 31st as home sales dropped.

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24/7 Wall St.’s Corporate Power Rankings (Week 8)

The 24/7 Wall Street Corporate Power Rankings of the thirty-two most important companies in America are determined by earnings, analyst rankings, important corporate news, trends in each firm’s industry, product introductions, management strength and changes, and credible rumors. It is, in effect, a new version of the DJIA.

The Corporate Power Rankings are released at midnight on each Sunday based on performance during the previous week.

Ford was thrashed in the rankings due to the likelihood that February car sales in the US will be extremely weak. Buffett’s company climbed after it released his annual letter and strong financial results. Abbott moved up on news that stents, one of its major products, are effective in fighting strokes. And, Goldman Sachs (GS) stayed near the bottom of the list as investigations into the bank’s role in the Greek debt debacle grew.

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Short Sellers Attack Buffett Holdings (BRK-B, BRK-A, AXP, BAC, BDX, KMX, KO, CMCSA, COP, COST, XOM, GCI, GE, GS, GSK, HD, IR, IRM, JNJ, KFT, LOW, MCO, NLC, NKE, PG, RSG, SNY, STI, TMK, TRV, USG, UNH, UPS, WMT, WPO, WFC, WLP, WSC)

Short selling is seen for many reasons, but universally traders tend to track short selling to track the biggest changes in the short interest twice each month.  Whether these are hedges, forward delivery trades, or just raw short sales, the trend is generally viewed as a bet against the overall market.  During the month of February, we saw short selling increase at both the NASDAQ and at the NYSE.  And it turns out that the short selling increased against more Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-B, BRK-A) stocks than those short positions which were lightened up.

The total NYSE short interest rose by 3.78% to 14,002,613,200 shares versus 13,492,652,518 shares in the period ending January 29, 2010.  NASDAQ short interest was up 4.75% to 7,019,657,092 shares versus 6,701,137,021 shares ending January 29, 2010.  It turns out that the best against Warren Buffett’s core holdings were frequently far higher than these short interest averages.

  • Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-A) was 14,752 shares, up 98% from 7,452 shares;
  • Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-B) was 29,538,177 shares, up 101% from 14,698,348 shares.

The bets against Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway were likely left over arbitrage plays or more importantly were index addition bets that the stock would drop after it was added to the S&P 500 index.  We took a look here at the few first that actually saw a decrease in the short selling.  These are Buffett stocks which saw traders making lower bets against his portfolio stocks as follows:

24/7 Wall St.’s Corporate Power Rankings (Week 7)

The 24/7 Wall Street Corporate Power Rankings of the thirty-two most important companies in America are determined by earnings, analyst rankings, important corporate news, trends in each firm’s industry, product introductions, management strength and changes, and credible rumors. It is, in effect, a new version of the DJIA.

The Corporate Power Rankings are released at midnight on each Sunday based on performance during the previous week.

For Ford (F), Toyota (TM) is the gift that keeps on giving. IBM (IBM) picks up five spots on strength of tech sector. AT&T (T) drops on 3G trouble and Goldman Sach (GS) slips on investigation into Greek derivatives deals.

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Buffett & Berkshire Hathaway 2010 Stock Holdings G to P (BRK-B, GCI, GE, GS, GSK, HOG, HD, IR, IRM, JNJ, KFT, LOW, MCO, NLC, NKE, PG, NSC, NRG)

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-B, BRK-A) has just filed its year-end holdings for 2009, so these are Warren Buffett’s most recent holdings going into 2010.  We have already seen some holdings get trimmed even since that cut-off date.  We broke these holdings out into 3 groups of ‘A to F’ and ‘G to P’ and ‘R to Z’ so it is more concise and clear.  Here are Warren Buffett’s holdings and accompanying notes for the group ‘G to P’ and we included some non-equity positions here which Buffett holds large stakes in.

  • Gannett Co. (NYSE: GCI) is a decreased holding of 2.202 million shares, down from 3.447 million last quarter.
  • General Electric Corp. (NYSE: GE) 7.777 million shares is the same as before, but does not include the huge preferred investment from late 2008.
  • Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS) is NOT a common stock… but Buffett still holds the preferred shares and warrants.
  • GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) 1.51 million shares, same as before.
  • Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE: HOG) is NOT a common stock… but Buffett still holds the preferred shares and warrants.
  • Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) 2.757 million, same as last quarter.
  • Ingersoll-Rand (NYSE: IR) 636,600 shares; same as last quarter but way down from the 7.78 million two quarters ago.
  • Iron Mountain (NYSE: IRM) is a raised holding of 7 million shares versus 3.3722 million shares a quarter ago.
  • Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) is a decreased position of just over 27 million shares; this is down from just over 36.91 million shares before and still well under the 62 million shares at one point in 2008.
  • Kraft Foods (NYSE: KFT) over 138 million; same as last quarter.
  • Lowe’s Companies (NYSE: LOW) 6.5 million shares, same as last quarter.
  • M&T Bank Corp. (NYSE: MTB) 6.71 million shares, same as before.
  • Moody’s (NYSE: MCO) is decreased again to 31.8 million shares versus 39.2 million shares a quarter before and under the 48 million the quarter before that.
  • Nalco Holding (NYSE: NLC) 9.0 million shares, same as last quarter.
  • Nestle ADR is 3.4 million shares, same as before.
  • Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) 7.641 million shares, same as before.
  • Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) is a decreased position of approximately 87.5 million shares, down from 96.3 million.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) has been eliminated in the quarter as Buffett already had his all-in bet on America with BNSF.

NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG) has been eliminated as a position entirely, down from 7.2 million last quarter.

BUFFETT HOLDINGS A to F

BUFFETT HOLDINGS R to Z

You can join our free daily email distribution list to hear more news on Buffett and other investment gurus, IPOs, secondary offerings, private equity, key analyst calls, and more.

JON C. OGG

24/7 Wall St.’s Corporate Power Rankings (Week 6)

The 24/7 Wall Street Corporate Power Rankings of the thirty-two most important companies in America are determined by earnings, analyst rankings, important corporate news, trends in each firm’s industry, product introductions, management strength and changes, and credible rumors. It is, in effect, a new version of the DJIA.

The Corporate Power Rankings are released at midnight on each Sunday based on performance during the previous week.

Ford (NYSE:F) climbed as Toyota (NYSE:TM) almost certainly gave up US market share due to recalls. Oracle (NASDAQ:ORCL) moved up the list as rival SAP (NYSE:SA) struggled with trouble among its top management ranks. HP’s prospects were hurt as it become clear that computing is moving to smaller devices like the iPad and new smartphones introduced this week.

The Power Rankings…

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Women’s Group Lauds Reverse Discrimination At Major Companies

Reverse discrimination is alive and well among large corporations which offer access to women’s businesses that results in a high volume of commerce for female-controlled firms. The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council “Top Corporations” program honors companies for “world-class programs that create level playing fields for women’s business enterprises to compete for corporate contracts.”

“Our Top Corporations are world-class leaders generating growth through partnerships with women’s business enterprises,” said Linda Denny, president and CEO of WBENC. That may be good news for women’s business enterprises, but bad news for companies that compete with them. Read More »

Brand Value And Stock Value: Soft Drinks, Candy, Soap, And Soup

Large consumer companies spend a great deal of marketing money on creating, preserving, and increasing the image of their brands. If a product has problems, the process does not always work. Toyota (NYSE:TM) has found that out the hard way.

A new study by CoreBrand sets values on  the relationships between brand equity and market cap among large American companies and the research points to two conclusions. The first is that iconic brands are critical to the stock market value of the firms that own them. Hershey (NYSE:HSY) ranked first in the CoreBrands study followed by Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) and Campbell Soup (NYSE:CPB) have spent billions of dollars to build brands which are universally recognized. The second is that weak companies with low market caps may find that their tattered brands make up an especially large part of their fallen share prices. This is probably because their companies are worth so little. Blockbuster (NYSE:BBI) and Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG) fall into this category.

The list:

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Top 10 Analyst Upgrades & Downgrades (AMZN, ARG, BRCM, CME, XOM, HD, NWL, HK, PCLN, DIS)

These are this Monday’s top analyst upgrades, downgrades, and initiations seen in Wall Street research calls:

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) Raised to Buy at Collins Stewart.
AirGas Inc. (NYSE: ARG) Cut to Neutral at Baird; Cut to Hold at KeyBanc.
Broadcom Corp. (NASDAQ: BRCM) Started as Buy at Citigroup.
CME Group (NYSE: CME) Raised to Buy at Jefferies.
Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM) Raised to Buy at Collins Stewart.
Home Depot (NYSE: HD) Raised to Overweight at Morgan Stanley.
Newell Rubbermaid (NYSE: NWL) Raised to Overweight at Morgan Stanley.
Petrohawk Energy Corporation (NYSE: HK) Cut to Market Perform at Bernstein.
Pricline.com Inc. (NASDAQ: PCLN) Raised to Positive at Susquehanna.
Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) Raised to Neutral at JPMorgan.

You are invited to join our free daily email distribution list to hear about top analyst upgrades and downgrades, IPOs and secondary offerings, ongoing day trader and options trader alerts, stock and market rumors, Buffett and guru investor news, M&A and more.

JON C. OGG
FEBRUARY 8, 2010

24/7 Wall St.’s Corporate Power Rankings (Week 3)

The 24/7 Wall Street Corporate Power Rankings of the thirty-two most important companies in America are determined be earnings, analyst rankings, important corporate news, trends in each firm’s industry, product introductions, management strength and changes, and credible rumors.

The Corporate Power Rankings will be released at midnight on each Sunday based on performance during the previous week. Goldman ended up at the very bottom of the 24/7 PR

Banks were hit hardest last week on earings and the Obama bank proposals.

Apple, marching toward beating earnings and the launch of its tablet, was in first place regaining the position after a week away.

Check out the complete rankings after the jump

24/7 Wall St.’s Corporate Power Rankings

The 24/7 Wall Street Corporate Power Rankings of the thirty-two most important companies in America are determined be earnings, analyst rankings, important corporate news, trends in each firm’s industry, product introductions, management strength and changes, and credible rumors.

The Corporate Power Rankings will be released at midnight on each Sunday based on performance during the previous week.

Apple remains by any reasonable measure the top big company in America– product, pipeline, and profit. Ford, comeback company of the year in 2009, opens the new year in the second spot and looks to keep its momentum.

Boeing, the Detroit Lion’s of the corporate world, is not likely to move out of the bottom spot in the near future.

Check of the complete rankings after the jump. Read More »

Buffett & Berkshire Hathaway Q3-2009 Holdings (BRK-A, BRK-B, GCI, GE, GSK, HD, IR, IRM, JNJ, KFT, LOW, MCO, NLC, NKE, NSC, NRG)

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-A)(BRK-B) has its Q3-2009 public equity holdings as of September 30, 2009.  In our group “A to F” we noted some interim changes in the lot.  Here are Warren Buffett’s holdings and accompanying notes for the group ‘G to O.’

  • Gannett Co. (NYSE: GCI) 3.447 million shares, same as before.
  • General Electric Corp. (NYSE: GE) 7.777 million shares is the same as before, but does not include the huge preferred investment from late 2008.
  • GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) 1.51 million shares, same as before.
  • Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) 2.757 million, same as last quarter.
  • Ingersoll-Rand (NYSE: IR) 636,600 shares; WAY DOWN from the 7.78 million listed last quarter.
  • Iron Mountain (NYSE: IRM) 3.3722 million shares, same as before.
  • Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) was just over 36.91 million shares; Same as last quarter and still well under the 62 million shares at one point in 2008.
  • Kraft Foods (NYSE: KFT) over 138 million; same as last quarter.
  • Lowe’s Companies (NYSE: LOW) 6.5 million shares, same as last quarter.
  • M&T Bank Corp. (NYSE: MTB) 6.71 million shares, same as before.
  • Moody’s (NYSE: MCO) was listed as over 39.2 million shares, but that is WAY DOWN from the 48 million last quarter.  Be advised that he has noted sales and hinted at more sales here.
  • Nalco Holding (NYSE: NLC) 9.0 million shares, same as last quarter.
  • Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) 7.641 million shares, same as before.
  • Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) 1.933 million shares, same as before, but we already know Buffett has or is selling out of non-BNSF shares in rail companies.
  • NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG) 7.2 million, same as before.

BUFFETT HOLDINGS A to F

BUFFETT HOLDINGS P to Z

You can join our open email distribution list to hear more news on Buffett and other investment gurus, IPOs, secondary offerings, private equity, key analyst calls, and more.

JON C. OGG

Lowe’s (LOW): Hope Gets In Your Eyes

bearOne word from a CEO can obscure an entire earnings reports. Home improvement giant Lowe’s (NYSE:LOW) reported lackluster earnings. However, its chief Robert A. Niblock said, “We are beginning to see signs of improved performance in some of the hardest-hit housing markets including California, Florida and areas of the desert Southwest.” Those areas were crushed so flat that it would require a massive turnaround the regions to do much to help the prospects of Lowe’s or Home Depot (NYSE:HD) Read More »

Earnings Duel on Deck: Lowe’s vs. Home Depot (LOW, HD)

Money Stack PicThis week’s earnings calendar is going to be dominated by retail earnings.  Early in the week you have the home improvement and building material wars with earnings first out of Lowe’s Companies Inc. (NYSE: LOW) on Monday and then Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) on Tuesday.

We have compiled estimates from Thomson Reuters, made some key comments on what to look for in each report, shown past performance, and given some added color on what to look for ahead.  We have some concerns here about how these stocks are valued.  We also showed the relative performance for 2009, the gains since March 9 that traders use as the official end of the death spiral, and we are also showing performance since July 31.
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24/7 Wall St. TV: McDonald’s (MCD) Consumer Service Lesson: Seconds Count

24/7 WallSt TVMcDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) spends a great deal of its test kitchen time trying to beat the clock. It has occurred to the fast food chain that a customer who expects to wait 30 seconds for a meal may leave after a minute if his food is not ready.  The world’s largest restaurant operator has its own Innovation Center where management works out the kinks of serving food hot and on time. Read More »

The 100 Hardest Working Brands In The World

hersheyThere are a number of ways to rank brand values. One of the most important is the level at which a brand contributes to the market value of a public company.

24/7 Wall St. asked Corebrand, the brand research and consulting firm, to look at the top 100 brands based their contribution to market capitalizaton. Using this method, the hardest working brand was Hershey (NYSE:HSY), followed  by Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) and Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG)

Corebrand described the process briefly to 24/7 Wall. St.

24/7 Wall St.: Corebard often refers to the brands on this list as the”hardest working brands”. How did you come to that description?

Corebrand: There are a lot of people measuring and examining the “strongest brands” or the “most valuable brands”.  Our opinion is that examining one without the other is somewhat meaningless.  How “strong” a brand is nice to know but not very relevant unless you understand how that strength benefits business.  Similarly, “value” is little more than a measure of corporate size unless you understand the drivers of that value and how to influence it. By examining the strength of the brand and it’s contribution to total market value, we can help companies and their leadership manage that strength and value over time.

24/7 Wall St.: Is there any advantage or disadvantage to having a brand value be a very large percentage of market cap in the present and as an indication of a company’s future performance?

Corebrand: The brand will need to be in balance with the rest of the company’s assets.  A company should strive to have it’s brand strong enough to fend off competitors or changing market conditions but not so strong that it becomes overly dependent on the brand as a single driver of value.  If a company can achieve and maintain its appropriate maximum strength without becoming over-dependent, it will see greater returns in bull markets and retain greater value in bear markets.

The list: Read More »

Martha Stewart & Kmart Get a Divorce (MSO, SHLD, HD)

Martha Stewart ImageMartha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. (NYSE: MSO) has just released a headline titled “Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Issues Statement.”  Unfortunately, this ’statement’ is that the relationship between Martha and Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD) in Kmart is not being renewed.  We suspected something of this magnitude when the The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE: HD) pact was signed, and that now appears to have been the last straw.
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Martha Stewart Lands at Home Depot (MSO, HD, SHLD, M)

Martha Stewart ImageHD LogoMartha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. (NYSE: MSO) has a new exclusive product lineup partner. We still want to know where Martha will end up after the K-Mart deal she has with Sears Holdings (NASDAQ: SHLD) expires, although a new partnership unveiled today does not specifically address that question and does not sound  “exclusive” despite the term being used.

The Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) announced an agreement today with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia to develop an exclusive Martha Stewart Living brand of home improvement products.  It was not noted that this will have any impact on the K-Mart agreement and it still notes that Macy’s Inc. (NYSE: M) is one of the many retailers where Martha Stewart products will be available.
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