a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/SZERIA0Vn5I/AAAAAAAAAoU/wsvpFNnYyNA/s1600-h/valentine.jpg”img style=”float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 200px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/SZERIA0Vn5I/AAAAAAAAAoU/wsvpFNnYyNA/s200/valentine.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”"id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301037065747931026″ //abr /February 14 is Valentine’s Day, so if you haven’t done the shopping for your sweetheart, then you better get started. How about a gift of some shares in companies that may participate in sales of Valentines Day related products. Here are some stocks that can benefit from from this popular day, including chocolate, flowers, jewelry, greeting cards, and gift wrap.br /br /Hershey (HSY), founded in 1894, is the largest manufacturer of chocolate in North America and one of the largest chocolate and candy companies in the world. Hershey’s Kisses were invented in 1901. Hershey chocolate chips were introduced in 1928. The stock has a P/E of 27, with a favorable yield of 3.2%.br /br /Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Inc. (RMCF) is a very low cap stock [and should therefore be considered …

The news for US retailers is grim to say the least. But Justice Litle says investors can still make profits by shorting the most vulnerable firms in the industry. He picks three retail stocks that look overvalued in today’s climate.

This from Taipan Daily

At market extremes (where fortunes are most often won and lost), the wild outliers get closer to reality. Such is the case with the “mega-mall ghost town” scenario.

In the past two weeks, the financial press has been chock-a-block with headlines like “Commercial Property Loses Shelter” and “Struggling Retailers Press Struggling Landlords on Rent.”

“U.S. retailers are expected to begin a wave of post-holiday bankruptcy filings,” the Wall Street Journal writes, “altering the landscape at malls and on main streets across the country.”

One mall store manager – who requested his name not be mentioned – told the WSJ he expects more returns than sales on some days.