Casey's General Stores Inc. (CASY) saw same store sales rise 6.4% in the fiscal first quarter thanks to better gasoline margins. The company has surprised on estimates 2 out of the last 4 quarters by an average of 17.50%. CASY is trading with a forward P/E of 14.42.

Company Description

Casey's General Stores, founded in 1959 in Iowa, operates convenience stores affiliated with gas stations in small towns across the United States. As of March 31, the company operated 1474 stores.

Casey's Saw Record Fiscal First Quarter

On Sep 8, Casey's General Stores reported fiscal first quarter 2010 earnings that blew by the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 45%. Earnings per share were 87 cents which easily surprised on the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 60 cents and bested the year ago quarter by 50%.

The company attributed the record quarter to strong gas margins and enhanced profitability inside the stores.

...

Casey's General Stores, Inc. (...

Casey & General Stores (CASY) has been trading ahead of the broader market amid recent turmoil and over the long-term. While grocers and food retailers have been slowing down, convenience stores like CASY have been outperforming. CASY has been consistently outperforming the Dow Jones ($DJI), S&P 500 (SPX) and the Nasdaq (COMP). The company offers a dividend yield of 1.2%, while the majority of its industry peers pay no dividend at all.

Company Description

Casey & General Stores, Inc. together with its subsidiaries, operate convenience stores under the Casey's General Stores name in the Midwest states. It has operations in Iowa, Missouri, Illinois Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Indiana. The company was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in Ankeny, Iowa.

Solid Growth

The company reported an all-time high in earnings for the first fiscal quarter, surpassing the consensus estimate

...

As I write this on Friday afternoon, Gustav is a Category 1 hurricane. Should the storm continue to strengthen and head towards Louisiana and Texas, oil futures will rise sharply. Let's hope that any damage from Gustav is minimal.

Regardless of what Mother Nature brings, I do expect trading volume to increase as traders and fund managers return from the holiday. U.S. stocks have stayed in a trading range, however, and barring a disruption to oil supplies, it is very possible that the higher volume won't result in either an upward or a downward breakout.

The earnings calendar is extremely light with just 43 companies confirmed to report. S&P 500 members H&R Block (HRB) and Staples (SPLS) are the most notable names within this group.

Wednesday's release of the Federal Reserve's Beige Book and Friday's issuance of the August employment numbers highlight the economic calendar. Tuesday: August ISM

...