Nordstrom Inc. (...

Crown Crafts, Inc. reported net income of $0.83 million, or $0.08 per share, in its second fiscal quarter ending 9/27/2009. The company earned $1.04 million, or $0.11 per share, in the same quarter last year. Revenues were $21.7 million in the quarter, down from the $23.8 million reported last year.

Randall Chestnut, the CEO of Crown Crafts, Inc., cited weak demand from its customers in the retail sector. “We are responding to the challenging economic environment by aggressively managing our cash flow…we are confident that we are well positioned to benefit as the economy recovers,” said Chestnut.

Crown Crafts, Inc. has cut expenses to handle the lower business activity as a result of the recession. During the second quarter, the company cut inventory levels by $2.9 million. Crown Crafts, Inc. ended the quarter with $12.0 million in cash.

Crown Crafts, Inc. designs and sells toddler and

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The stock market is nothing if not a place of pure deception.  Just when you think you have the market figured out it changes course leaving you scratching your head in frustration.  Or even worse, just when the market seems to be making logical sense it makes no sense whatsoever, which seems to be the case most of the time anyway.

 

 

 

LOGICAL DECEPTION

Think about the following: all you hear in the news media is how the consumer is not spending any money; how the Christmas season will be dismal; how continued unemployment  will  stifle any improvement in consumer sentiment, etc. etc. yet have you taken a look at the retail sector in the last few months? The RTH (Retail Holders Trust) broke out yesterday to a high it has not seen since the

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Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST), the fifth largest general retailer in the U.S., has reported better-than-expected fourth quarter fiscal 2009 results with net income of $374 million or 85 cents per share, compared to $398 million or 90 cents in the year-earlier quarter. The quarterly earnings well surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 77 cents per share. For fiscal year 2009, net income was $1.09 billion or $2.47 per share compared to $1.28 billion or $2.89 per share in the previous fiscal year. The year-over-year decrease in the fiscal results was primarily due to the continuing softness in the U.S. economy, higher employee benefit costs and negative impact of foreign currency translation. Net sales during the quarter totaled $21.89 billion compared to $22.63 billion in the year-ago quarter, while net sales in fiscal 2009 were $69.89 billion compared to $70.98 billion in fiscal 2008. Although both the ...

A Sector Where Few Dare to Go…

by Robert Williams, Publisher

Have you heard the chatter coming out of the retail sector? Last week, Citigroup upgraded Macy’s (NYSE: M) to a “Buy.” And yesterday, Moody’s raised its broad outlook on U.S. retailers from “Negative” to “Stable.”

The respective upgrades serve as further proof that the economy is improving, which puts the onus on the Fed to figure out an exit strategy.

The Fed used unprecedented measures, including lowering short-term interest rates to near zero and buying a wide range of securities, to stabilize financial markets.

However, soon it’ll be time for Bernanke’s gang to reverse course. That means raising interest rates, withdrawing support from the credit markets and selling the securities it accumulated.

And when news of such action hits the wire, stocks – especially retailers – will likely be

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hhgregg, Inc. (NYSE: HGG): The Only Retail Stock Worth Buying Right Now

by Louis Basenese, Advisory Panelist

For the first time in six months, retail sales ticked higher in August.

Granted, it wasn’t by much – a scant 0.7% higher than July. But it’s inevitable that consumers will eventually get back to their spending ways as this recession subsides.

And if you’re looking for a way to play it, consider hhgregg, Inc. (NYSE: HGG). Here’s why…

hhgregg, Inc: This Retailer is Bucking the Industry Trend

Based in Indianapolis, the hhgregg operates 111 retail stores selling consumer electronics and home appliances. Yes, I know that’s the same stuff you can get at your typical Best Buy (NYSE: BBY), Home Depot (NYSE: HD), or Lowe’s (NYSE: LOW).

But this company is hardly typical.

While most retailers are focused on

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The inflation/deflation debate is hot… It crackles and pops like a pine fire. But it gives off little helpful light. Abe Lincoln may have read by the light of an open fire. But when we tried it, we singed our eyebrows. It made us suspicious of Old Abe; maybe he wasn’t quite as truthful as he pretended to be. Later, we realized he was a mountebank. But that’s another story…

Today, we light a candle and try to interpret the shadows on the wall…

Yesterday, the Dow fell 81 points. Gold dropped $5 to $1009.

Will the feds succeed in causing inflation? Or will they fail? Will the dollar continue to go down? Or will it prove to be a safe haven currency in a time of deflationary trouble?

According to the papers, the feds have already done it. “Fed says recovery underway,” says a headline from yesterday’s press.

Another headline tells us that

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JoS. A. Bank Clothiers, Inc. (JOSB) has been defying the retail doom and gloom as sales climbed 9.8% year over year in the fiscal second quarter. Analysts expect 5-year sales growth of 16.8%. JOSB has a PEG ratio of just 0.90.

Company Description

JoS. A. Bank sells men's suits, tuxedos, casual clothing, footwear and accessories through 467 stores in 42 states and the District of Columbia and through its web site, www.josbank.com. The company has a 100% money back guarantee on its products.

JoS. A. Bank Surprised on Estimates Again

On Sep 2, JoS. A. Bank continued with its hot streak of surprising on the Zacks Consensus Estimate as earnings per share for the second quarter of fiscal 2009 beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 25.93%. EPS rose 42% to 68 cents from 48 cents a year ago. Analysts expected just 54 cents.

The company has experienced earnings growth

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The nation’s retail sector is raising a lot of questions. Just about the only thing that is certain is prices won’t be anywhere close to current levels in just a few months. That makes a perfect trading opportunity for options investors.

I love a hometown success story. While it is hard to find much good news in the retail sector these days, one small-cap is proving consistency and experience pays off.

With the amount of competition larger than ever and margins dwindling by the day, running a department store is a tough business.

Earlier this year, investors were wondering if Bon-Ton (NASDAQ:BONT) was headed for bankruptcy court. With revenues plunging and a bottom line scribbled with nine figures of red ink, the chain’s cash pile could only carry it so long.

Over the last eighteen months, shares of the company plummeted from close to $60 to less than $6 late last year.

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The retail sector is all over the news. Unfortunately, the headlines are almost all negative. As unemployment risks remain high, consumers refuse to spend.

It has been a tough week if you have anything to do with the world of retail. Just about every company that opened its books to the Street this week got punished for the act.

The list of “disappointing” reports is getting longer by the day.

Lowes (NYSE:LOW) kicked off the week with scary-low figures. Home Depot (NYSE:HD) beat the Street but still got punished after a slew of less-than-stellar economic reports.

Outside of the home-centric sector, shares of Liz Claiborne (NYSE:LIZ) plummeted on Monday after the Standard and Poor’s cut its rating on the unprofitable retailer to B, a two-notch downgrade. The company’s rating now stands five levels below investment grade.

High-end retailer Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF) is also deep in negative

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