BofA/Merrill Lynch Slashes RadioShack and, Oddly, Raises Target Price

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By Jon C. Ogg Updated Published
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RadioShack Corp. (NYSE: RSH) just cannot manage to find any love. The troubled electronics retailer was downgraded to Neutral at BofA/Merrill Lynch, which is really just part of the ongoing wave of negative sentiment around the stock.

Last week we saw that Goldman Sachs cut the rating to Sell from an already cautious Neutral. In late February, UBS maintained a Sell rating. We also were confused by its choice for a turnaround CEO due to industry background changes.

Merrill Lynch believes that many of the positive catalysts that it had predicated in its prior Buy rating are largely priced into the stock. The company is exiting its loss-making partnership with Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT). What is interesting is that this downgrade includes a price target increase to $4.00 from $3.50, based on a 0.1-times sales multiple, although upside looks limited until a clear strategic plan is presented. The team here thinks that the the new CEO direction will be very important, but also said that any turnaround plan is likely not coming until the second half of this year.

This sounds yet again like one more example of how and why RadioShack will have to face its future alone.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

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About the Author Jon C. Ogg →

Jon Ogg has been a financial news analyst since 1997. Mr. Ogg set up one of the first audio squawk box services for traders called TTN, which he sold in 2003. He has previously worked as a licensed broker to some of the top U.S. and E.U. financial institutions, managed capital, and has raised private capital at the seed and venture stage. He has lived in Copenhagen, Denmark, as well as New York and Chicago, and he now lives in Houston, Texas. Jon received a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance at University of Houston in 1992. www.247wallst.com.

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