Posts for Ticker ‘SPLS’

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 »

Posted on: October 20, 2009 – 5:06 pm in Research, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Private Equity To Office Depot Rescue (ODP, OMX, SPLS)

Money Stack ImageOffice Depot, Inc. (NYSE: ODP) has recovered substantially off of its March lows, but the stock is bruised and battered when you consider it hit $40.00 in late 2006.  But this morning the office supply store chain announced that funds advised by BC Partners, an international private equity firm, had invested $350 million in the company.  This may even have some implications for the competition with OfficeMax Inc. (NYSE: OMX) and Staples, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLS).
Read More »

Posted on: June 23, 2009 – 8:38 am in Business Services, Private Equity, Secondary Offering, , ,

Media Digest 5/28/2009 Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, FT, Bloomberg

newspaperReuters:   Central bankers in the US and Europe are battling deflation and inflation simultaneously.

Reuters:   GM (GM) is close to bankruptcy but the fate of Opel is still open.

Reuters:   Citigroup (C) and the SEC are working on settling charges on an asset disclosure problem.

Reuters:   A US plan to buy bad bank assets is in trouble.

Reuters:   Despite the recession there is still a large demand for people in certain sectors. Read More »

Posted on: May 28, 2009 – 2:58 am in Autos, Banking, Biotech, Economy, Internet, Management Change, Oil & Gas, PC Companies, Press Digest, Private Equity, Retail, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Top Analyst Upgrades (BBBY, MAPP, ISLE, OMX, PCZ, RF, SPLS, SYMC)

These are the top pre-market analyst upgrades and positive research calls we have seen from Wall Street firms this Wednesday morning:

Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) Started as Outperform at Oppenheimer.
MAP Pharmaceuticals (MAPP) Raised to Buy at Deutsche Bank.
Isle of Capri (ISLE) Raised to Outperform at oppenheimer.
OfficeMax (OMX) Started as Outperform at Oppenheimer.
Petro-Canada (PCZ) Raised to Overweight at Barclays.
Regions Financial (RF) Raised to Buy at Deutsche Bank.
Staples (SPLS) Started as Outperform at Oppenheimer.
Symantec (SYMC) Raised to Outperform at Morgan Keegan.

JON C. OGG

Posted on: May 27, 2009 – 6:58 am in Analyst Calls, , , , , , , ,

The Ten Companies That Will Lead The US Out Of The Recession

EmpireThere are an extremely small number of companies which are likely to do relatively well during the recession, either because they are the market share leaders in their industries by a wide margin, or they are in businesses which sell products and services which are a necessary part of everyday life.

Wal-Mart (WMT) recently announced that its same store sales in January were up 2.1%, which was more than forecast. With the company’s huge network of stores and ability to strong arm suppliers, Wal-Mart offers shoppers good merchandise at prices which becomes more and more attractive as the downturn continues.

McDonald’s (MCD) says its same-store sales are holding up fairly well. Its “value meal” concept is likely to keep customers returning to its restaurants for plentiful and inexpensive food.

Colgate (CL) sales have also held up well as the recession has deepened. People are going to buy toothpaste and shampoo unless they are completely out of money.

Over the last year, shares of Colgate, Wal-Mart, and McDonald’s have significantly outperformed the DJIA.

The signals of a recovery will probably come from companies which are No. 2 or No.3 in their industries. It will be telling if they can begin to show even slightly improving trends operating in the shadow of larger competitors. The other area of corporate America worth watching is the sectors which have done substantially worse than most. That includes airlines, automobiles, and media companies.

Looking though a list of some of America’s largest companies to find firms which fit these descriptions, 24/7 Wall St. identified ten companies to watch for the signs of an economic recovery. A reasonable quarter or a slightly better-than-expected outlook from some of these companies should show that the recession is coming to a close.

Read More »

Posted on: February 6, 2009 – 1:35 pm in Economy, Editor's Picks, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Top Pre-Market Analyst Downgrades (DDR, FII, LM, PIR, SPLS, ULTA, WFMI)

Down_arrow_redThese are some of the top downgrades and negative calls we are seeing from Wall Street analysts this Tuesday morning:

  • Developers Diversified (DDR) Cut to Neutral at Goldman Sachs.
  • Federated Investors (FII) Cut to Neutral at JPMorgan.
  • Legg Mason (LM) Cut to Underperform at FBR.
  • Pier 1 Imports (PIR) Cut to Neutral at UBS.
  • Regency Centers (REG) Cut to Sell at Goldman Sachs.
  • Staples (SPLS) Cut to Underperform at RBC.
  • Ulta Salon (ULTA) Cut to Neutral at Baird.
  • Whole Foods (WFMI) Cut to Market Perform at William Blair.

Jon C. Ogg
November 25, 2008

Posted on: November 25, 2008 – 7:51 am in Analyst Calls, , , , , , ,

Top Pre-Market Analyst Upgrades (FSLR, JNS, LM, NLC, NBIX, NEM, SPLS)

These are some of the top analyst upgrades we are seeing from Wall Street this Thursday morning with about two hours to the open:

  • First Solar (FSLR) Raised to Buy at Merriman Curhan Ford.
  • Janus Capital (JNS) Raised to Neutral at JPMorgan.
  • Legg Mason (LM) Raised to Buy at Jefferies.
  • Nalco (NLC) Raised to Overweight at JPMorgan.
  • Neurocrine Bio (NBIX) Raised to Neutral at Piper Jaffray.
  • Newmont Mining (NEM) Raised to Overweight at JPMorgan.
  • Staples (SPLS) Raised to Market Perform at FBR.

Jon C. Ogg
October 30, 2008

Posted on: October 30, 2008 – 6:44 am in Analyst Calls, , , , , , ,

Top Pre-Market Analyst Downgrades (AFFX, CLNE, MER, NTRS, SPLS, TU)

These are some of the top downgrades or cautious calls we are seeing from analysts this Friday morning:

  • Affymetrix (AFFX) Started as Underweight at Morgan Stanley.
  • Clean Energy (CLNE) Cut to Underperform at National Bank.
  • Merrill Lynch (MER) Cut to Sell at Goldman Sachs.
  • Northern Trust (NTRS) Cut to Sell at Sandler O’Neill.
  • Staples (SPLS) Started as Underperform at FBR.
  • Telus Corp. (TU) Cut to Neutral at UBS.

Jon C. Ogg
September 5, 2008

Posted on: September 5, 2008 – 6:57 am in Analyst Calls, , , , , ,

24/7 Wall St. Day-Trading Alerts (SPLS)(CNFT)(XFML)(JOSB)

Cammonopoly_wideweb__430x3250According to VSInvestor, several stocks are moving this morning on large volume.

Staples (SPLS) is off 9% on poor earnings. These are notes on China Techfaith (CNFT) hitting an all-time low.

Xinhua Finance Media (XFML) opened up sharply. Jos. A Bank Clothiers (JOSB) sold off on no news.

Douglas A. McIntyre

Posted on: August 19, 2008 – 8:59 am in Research, , , ,

Media Digest 6/18/2008 Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, FT, Bloomberg

According to Reuters, Staple (SPLS) has received EU approval for a takeover of Corporate Express.

Reuters writes that DreamWorks is in conversations with India’s Reliance. The deal would allow top management at the studio to leave Viacom (VIA).

Reuters writes that Mircosoft (MSFT) has bought TV ad tech company Navic.

Reuters writes that Google (GOOG) sees value in its "experiment": with Yahoo! in the ad business.

Reuters reports that Northwest Air (NWA) has further cut its capacity.

Reuters reports that the former CEO of AIG (AIG) may get as much as $68 million in severance.

The Wall Street Journal reports that floods in the Midwest could add to the price of ethanol.

The Wall Street Journal writes that Hershey laid out a plan to stay competitive in the candy market.

The Wall Street Journal writes that results from Fedex (FDX) could jolt the market.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Ford (F) will increase exports to China.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Wal-Mart (WMT) will cut capital outlays this year.

The New York Times writes writes that regulators may not force AIG (AIG) to shore up one of its key units with $900 million in new capital.

The New York Times writes that the US may lag the emerging world in tech growth.

The FT writes that LinkedIn raised capital valuing it at $1 billion.

The FT reports that SUV sales are still gaining in China.

Bloomberg writes that newspapers could face defaults as their ad revenue falls.

Douglas A. McIntyre

Posted on: June 18, 2008 – 2:56 am in Press Digest, , , , , , , , ,

News Digest 6/5/2008 Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, FT, Bloomberg

According to Reuters, nuclear energy is beginning to make a comeback

Reuters reports that Vodafone (VOD) said Verizon Wireless is in talks to buy Alltel.

Reuters writes that Corporate Express will open its books to potential buyer Staples (SPLS).

Reuters writes that Bernanke said US inflation is too high.

The Wall Street Journal writes that a clash between Steve Ballmber and BIll Gates eight years ago lead tothe company’s current management structure.

The Wall Street Journal writes that a Walton will join the Wal-Mart (WMT) board in what could be the early stages of a management change.

The Wall Street Journal writes that Yahoo! (YHOO) rebuffed Carl Icahn’s last attack.

The Wall Street Journal writes that Ford (F) and GM (GM) narrowed the quality gap between themselves and their rivals in the latest JP Power survey.

The Wall Street Journal writes that Lehman Bros (LEH) is open to having one large investor.

The New York Times writes that investors are pouring billons of dollars into farming.

The New York Times writest that the Big Three are competing for a shrinking truck market.

The New York Times writes that Monsanto plans to create seeds that would sharply increase crop yields.

The New York Times writes that E^Trade (ETFC) will make it easier to trade on a RIM (RIMM) Blackberry.

The FT writes that short bets against Lehman (LEH) are at record levels.

The FT reports that United (UAUA) will cut its fleet and jobs.

Bloomberg writes that MBIA (MBI) and Ambac (ABK) may give up their fight to keep Aaa ratings as Moody’s (MCO) said it may downgrade them.

Douglas A. McIntyre

Posted on: June 5, 2008 – 2:53 am in Press Digest, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Media Digest 6/3/2008 Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, FT, Bloomberg

According to Reuters, Yahoo! (YHOO) rejected a tie up with Google (GOOG) before the Microsoft (MSFT) bid.

Retuers writes that loses may force Lehman (LEH) to raise another $3.4 billion.

Reuters reports that GM (GM) is expected to cut more costs as sales fall.

Reuters writes that Intel’s (INTC) new small chip "Atom" will try to push its way into the small PC market.

Reuters reports that the top US energy forecaster said oil could stay above $100 through 2009.

The Wall Street Journal reports that shareholder claim that Yahoo! adopted an employee severance plan to kill a deal with Microsoft.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Staples (SPLS) has raised its bid for Corporate Express.

The Wall Street Journal writes that many large advertisers on Google are troubled by smaller advertisers using tradmeked names.

Teh Wall Street Journal writes that Microsoft and HP (HPQ) have put together a search toolbar deal to be placed on the hardware company’s PCs.

The Wall Street Journal writes that Wal-Mart (WMT) will offer free classifed ads on its website.

The Wall Street Journal writes that the Sirius (SIRI) merger with XM Satellite (XMSR) is troubled by a slowdown in consumer demand for their products.

The Wall Street Journal writes that Pfizer (PFE) is looking at ways to keep fundng its large dividend.

The New York Times writes that the International Air Transport Association dropped its forecasts for2008.

The FT writes that George Soros will tell Congress that institutional investments in oil futures are helping drive prices higher.

Douglas A. McIntyre

Posted on: June 3, 2008 – 2:50 am in Press Digest, , , , , , , , , ,

Top 10 Pre-Market Analyst Calls (AKAM, AEP, AAPL, BIDZ, CHINA, FMD, LVLT, PNRA, CRM, SPLS)

These are ten of the analyst calls we are focusing on this Thursday morning:

  • Akamai Tech (NASDAQ: AKAM) cut to Sell at Goldman Sachs.
  • American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) Cut to Hold From Buy at Jefferies.
  • Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) started as Outperform at Oppenheimer.
  • Bidz.com (NASDAQ: BIDZ) Started as Buy at Merriman Curhan Ford.
  • CDC (NASDAQ: CHINA) Cut to Neutral From Buy at Piper Jaffray.
  • First Marblehead (NYSE: FMD) Raised to Market Perform at FBR.
  • Level 3 Communications (NASDAQ: LVLT) Raised to Market Perform from Underperform at Wachovia.
  • Panera Bread (NASDAQ: PNRA) Started as Buy at Jefferies.
  • Salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM) Raised to Buy From Hold at Jefferies.
  • Staples (NASDAQ: SPLS) Started as Buy at Citigroup.

Jon C. Ogg
May 22, 2008

Posted on: May 22, 2008 – 6:40 am in Analyst Calls, , , , , , , , , ,

Media Digest 5/20/2008 Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, FT, Bloomberg

According to Reuters, Microsoft (MSFT) is proposing to buy Yahoo!’s (YHOO) search business.

Reuters writes that Barclays (BCS) is looking at a possible bid for Lehman (LEH).

Reuters reports that customer satisfaction with airlines is the lowest since 2001.

Reuters reports that Staples (SPLS) has launched a hostile bid for Corporate Express.

Reuters reports that the SEC has filed charges against eight ex-AOL employees.

Reuters reports that Wachovia (WB) and Fifth Third had losses in a Citigroup (C) hedge fund.

The Wall Street Journal writes that the auto industry turnaround is being threatened by the current slump which may spread to related industries.

The Wall Street Journal writes that the US has raised its estimate for food inflation in 2008 from 4.5% to 5.5%.

The Wall Street Journal writes that cellphone purchases in the US fell in the first quarter.

The New York Times writes that Napster has started an MP3 store to compete with Apple (AAPL) iTunes.

The New York Times writes that Google (GOOG) will offer a service for people to host personal health records on the internet.

The New York Times writes that NetFlix (NFLX) will offer a device for instantly watching movies on a customer’s TV set.

The FT writes that figures show the US breaking its addiction to foreign oil.

The FT reports that Goldman Sachs (GS), Morgan Stanley (MS), and UBS (UBS) are linking their private stock trading operations to improve liquidity.

Bloomberg writes that a $100 billion bet on mortgages lost $24 billion over nine months.

Bloomberg reports that as the subprime mortgage mess fades the US will have subpar growth for some time.

Bloomberg writes that banks, including Citigroup (C), hid $35 billion in write-downs by keeping them off their income statements.

Douglas A. McIntyre

Posted on: May 20, 2008 – 2:56 am in Press Digest, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Top 10 Pre-Market Analyst Calls (ADCT, ALXN, ANAD, CCJ, ENR, GENZ, IPI, IVZ, SPLS, JAVA)

These are some of the top analyst calls we are looking at this Wednesday morning:

  • ADC Telecom (NASDAQ: ADCT) raised to Buy from Hold at Jefferies.
  • Alexion Pharma (NASDAQ: ALXN) started as Buy at Jefferies.
  • Anadigics (NASDAQ: ANAD) cut to Perform from Outperform at Oppenheimer.
  • Cameco (NYSE: CCJ) cut to Neutral from Buy at UBS.
  • Energizer (NYSE: ENR) started as Outperform at Bernstein.
  • Genzyme (NASDAQ: GENZ) raised to Outperform at Bernstein.
  • Intrepid Potash (NYSE: IPI) started as Sell at Soleil.
  • InVesco (NYSE: IVZ) started as Buy at Jefferies.
  • Staples (NASDAQ: SPLS) raised to Buy from Hold at Jefferies.
  • Sun Microsystems (NASDAQ: JAVA) Raised to Outperform from Market Perform at Wachovia.

Jon C. Ogg
May 14, 2008

Posted on: May 14, 2008 – 6:28 am in Analyst Calls, , , , , , , , , ,

Media Digest 5/13/2008 Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, FT, Bloomberg

According to Reuters, HP (HPQ) plans to buy EDS (EDS) to better compete with IBM (IBM).

Reuters writes that AIG (AIG) says it sees no reason to follow the request of its ex-CEO to the company’’s annual meeting.

Reuters writes that Staples (SPLS) has raised its hostile bid for Corporate Express.

Reuters reports that Nissan reported a large drop in earnings and said that the next year would be disappointing due to higher commodities prices and weak US market..

Reuters writes that Microsoft (MSFT) has launched WorldWide Telescope, free software for exploring outer space.

The Wall Street Journal writes that Dell (DELL) is trying to reinvenet its high end game computer business.

The Wall Street Journal writes that Exxon (XOM) management has asked investors to reject a move to have the company elect a separate chairman and CEO.

The Wall Street Journal writes that Beazer (BZH) will restate is results for nine years.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Merrill Lynch (MER) tried to convince investors that it has enough capital and will not have to raise money.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Clear Channel (CCU) is near a deal to complete its LBO.

The Wall Street Journal writes that Dish Network (DISH) is losing subscriber growth momentum.

The New York Times writes that Nissan will sell an electric car in the US by 2010.

The New York Times writes that Wachovia (WB) faces a inquiry over auction-rate securities.

The FT writes that UBS (UBS) sees further problems in the US housing business.

Bloomberg writes that Toyota (TM) will cut discounts on its Prius hybrid as the cost of gas rises

Douglas A McIntyre

Posted on: May 13, 2008 – 2:52 am in Press Digest, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Major March Short Interest Increases (CSCO, LOGI, MCRL, PRXL, PTEN, SPLS, JAVA, TROW, YRCW)

We routinely look over major changes in short interest from period to period.  While the more frequent twice-monthly reporting is conducted by exchanges, it sometimes gives a little insight into the psyche of traders and trends.  The most important issue to look at is in the larger and more active names that have large positions that grew rapidly in percentage terms.

We screened many different names after the short interest data came out last night from NASDAQ, so we looked for a minimum of 5 million shares short and we looked for those names whose short interest grew by more than 30%.  These are not all of the names, but here is a representation of the screen:

Comapny (Ticker)                              MARCH 14     FEB 29       CHANGE
Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO)          73,069,889   48,631,811    50.25%
Logitech International (LOGI)           8,017,620    5,464,404     46.72%
Micrel, Incorporated (MCRL)             7,719,618    5,242,192     47.26%
PAREXEL International (PRXL)        6,204,152    3,137,862     97.72%
Patterson-UTI Energy (PTEN)         14,068,305    9,336,158    50.69%
Staples, Inc. (SPLS)                          20,708,717   15,097,693   37.16%
Sun Microsystems (JAVA)                23,630,955   17,562,322   34.55%
T. Rowe Price Group (TROW)         15,997,024   11,341,287   41.05%
YRC Worldwide, Inc. (YRCW)          22,782,135   16,007,172   42.32%

Jon C. Ogg
March 27, 2008

Jon Ogg produces the Special Situation Investing Newsletter and can be reached at jonogg@247wallst.com; he does not own securities in the companies he covers.

Posted on: March 27, 2008 – 7:57 am in Short Interest, , , , , , , , ,

Top 10 Pre-Market Analyst Calls (ARO, ABH, FAST, JCP, JWN, KERX, MHS, AMTR, SHOR, SPLS, VE)

These are some of the analyst calls that 247WallSt.com is focusing on in early pre-market trading this Monday morning:

  • Aeropostale (NYSE: ARO) Cut To Sell From Hold at Citigroup.
  • AbitibiBowater (NYSE: ABH) Raised to Market Perform at Raymond James.
  • Fastenal (NASDAQ: FAST) Started as Equalweight at Morgan Stanley.
  • JC Penney (NYSE: JCP) & Nordstom (NYSE: JWN) Raised to Buy at Goldman Sachs.
  • Keryx Biopharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: KERX) Cut to Neutral at JP Morgan.
  • Medco Health Solutions (NYSE: MHS) Raised to Buy at Goldman Sachs.
  • Omniture (NASDAQ: AMTR) Raised To Outperform at FBR.
  • ShoreTel (NASDAQ: SHOR) Cut to Neutral at Piper Jaffray.
  • Staples (NASDAQ: SPLS) cut to Neutral at Goldman Sachs.
  • Veolia Environnement (NYSE: VE) Raised to Buy at Citigroup.

Jon C. Ogg
March 10, 2008

Posted on: March 10, 2008 – 6:31 am in Analyst Calls, , , , , , , , , , ,

Can Staples Earnings Change The “going sideways” Path?

On Tuesday morning we’ll get to see earnings out of Staples, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLS). The estimates for the office supplier from First Call are $0.47 EPS on $5.37 billion in revenues.  Next quarter estimates are $4.91 billion in revenues. Estimates for fiscal Jan-2009 are $1.58 EPS on $20.88 billion in revenues.

This last acquisition offer for Corporate Express (NYSE: CXP) is also going to be a key focus as this stock has been dead money.  Analysts have an average price target north of $27.00 and Staples’ 52-week trading range is $19.69 to $27.00.  On last look, this had just over 15 million shares listed as being in the short interest.

Jon C. Ogg
March 1, 2008

Posted on: March 1, 2008 – 7:16 am in Earnings, ,

Top 10 Pre-Market Analyst Calls (ABK, MBI, SCA, BBBY, BAM, DHT, GFIG, PHG, PCLN, RIMM, SPLS, WWY)

These are not the only analyst calls out there, but these are the top calls that 247WallSt.com is focusing on today:

  • Ambac (ABK), M B I A Inc. (MBI), and Security Capital Assurance (SCA) were downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Banc of America (that was real timely).
  • Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) raised to Buy from Neutral at UBS.
  • Brookfield Asset Management (BAM) raised to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse.
  • Double Hull Tankers (DHT) raised to Buy from Hold at Citigroup.
  • GFI Group (GFIG) raised to Buy at Goldman Sachs.
  • Philps Electronics (PHG) downgraded to Underweight from Overweight at Lehman.
  • Priceline.com (PCLN) raised to Buy from Hold at Citigroup.
  • Research in Motion (RIMM) raised to Outperform at Oppenheimer.
  • Staples (SPLS) raised to Buy from Neutral at UBS.
  • Wrigley (WWY) raised to Overweight from Neutral at JPMorgan.

Jon C. Ogg
January 18, 2008

Posted on: January 18, 2008 – 7:41 am in Analyst Calls, , , , , , , , , , , ,