Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), DirecTV (NYSE: DTV), Wal-Mart Stores (NYSE: WMT), Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI), Electronic Arts (NYSE: EA) and Honda Motor (NYSE: HMC) ratings and price targets.
Apple (AAPL) had its price target raised by Brigantine from $450.00 to $500.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.
DirecTV (DTV) had its price target lowered by Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) to $52.00.
Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) had its price target lowered by Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) to $65.00.
Sirius XM Radio (SIRI) was downgraded by Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) from an “Overweight” rating to an “Equal Weight” rating.
Electronic Arts (EA) was upgraded by Monness, Crespi, Hardt to a “Buy” rating.
Honda Motor (HMC) was upgraded by Morgan Stanley to an “Outperform” rating.
Showing posts with label Wal-Mart. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wal-Mart. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Friday, July 16, 2010
US Dollar Crushed by Major Currencies
The US dollar got clobbered today as interest rates will be held down by the Federal Reserve for some time to come, as inflation remains low for the time being in the U.S.
Questions as to whether or not we've ever escaped the recession are increasingly being asked, as no jobs are being created in the private sector and housing remains in terrible condition, and is expected to worsen.
We still haven't seen the full effect of the commercial property market yet either, which is supposed to be in trouble over the second half of 2010.
The illusion the sovereign debt crisis in Europe has been handled because Greece has been able to auction bonds in the private markets is a real stretch, but that has strengthened the euro some for now, another downward pressure on the dollar.
Based on Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) starting a food price war to draw consumers back to the store, food prices dropped strongly in June, as they and competitors fought for foot traffic.
Consequently, the producer price index sank by 0.5 percent, after a 0.3 percent fall in May. Economists were said to be looking for 0.1 percent, but to me should have known better with the move by Wal-Mart and its competitors.
The dollar fell to 1.2910 against the euro, its worst showing in over two months.
Questions as to whether or not we've ever escaped the recession are increasingly being asked, as no jobs are being created in the private sector and housing remains in terrible condition, and is expected to worsen.
We still haven't seen the full effect of the commercial property market yet either, which is supposed to be in trouble over the second half of 2010.
The illusion the sovereign debt crisis in Europe has been handled because Greece has been able to auction bonds in the private markets is a real stretch, but that has strengthened the euro some for now, another downward pressure on the dollar.
Based on Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) starting a food price war to draw consumers back to the store, food prices dropped strongly in June, as they and competitors fought for foot traffic.
Consequently, the producer price index sank by 0.5 percent, after a 0.3 percent fall in May. Economists were said to be looking for 0.1 percent, but to me should have known better with the move by Wal-Mart and its competitors.
The dollar fell to 1.2910 against the euro, its worst showing in over two months.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Wal-Mart's (NYSE:WMT) Secret Weapon Back
Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) has always gone back to their secret weapon, or rather, not-so-secret weapon of lowering prices when sales start to slow down, and that's the case again as the giant retailer has announced they're again cutting prices on 10,000 products or more to entice customers back to their stores.
Having said that, there's doubt as whether customers, especially middle-class customers, have in fact been leaving the store because their circumstances have improved, implying they were a temporary phenomenon related to the recession, or they've found prices for a number of items close to Wal-Mart's prices, making a trip to the retail discounter irrelevant.
Wal-Mart claims it's not the abandoning of the stores by middle-class shoppers because conditions have improved, but rather the latter, that food and electronic prices have fallen to the place where competitors can compete closely with them, the reason they're returning to a focus on price as their chief competitive weapon.
The company added they're not going to stop with the cuts on 10,000 items, but plan on expanding that in the months ahead with the help of a number of their suppliers, who they're asking to cut prices as well.
In return, Wal-Mart will spotlight the products on their shelves, which should result in increased sales for their partners.
Having said that, there's doubt as whether customers, especially middle-class customers, have in fact been leaving the store because their circumstances have improved, implying they were a temporary phenomenon related to the recession, or they've found prices for a number of items close to Wal-Mart's prices, making a trip to the retail discounter irrelevant.
Wal-Mart claims it's not the abandoning of the stores by middle-class shoppers because conditions have improved, but rather the latter, that food and electronic prices have fallen to the place where competitors can compete closely with them, the reason they're returning to a focus on price as their chief competitive weapon.
The company added they're not going to stop with the cuts on 10,000 items, but plan on expanding that in the months ahead with the help of a number of their suppliers, who they're asking to cut prices as well.
In return, Wal-Mart will spotlight the products on their shelves, which should result in increased sales for their partners.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) Doesn't Need Bank Charter
Wal-Mart Money Centers
It could be that the refusal to be offered a bank charter is one of the best things to have happened to Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT), as it forced them to look at other ways to financially serve their customers, and as usual, they've come up with a highly profitable one.
Most of the customers using the approximate 1,000 "Money Centers" offered by Wal-Mart are those that don't use banks. The giant retailer is now looking to expand those Money Centers to another 500 stores, bringing the total to 1,500, or about half the number of stores in the United States.
The money centers have become a very lucrative trade for Wal-Mart, and is highly profitable, as there's little costs other than those handling the transactions, which amount to between 3 to 5 million a week on a national basis.
Costs are also low to put the financial units in a store as well, making them a quick-producing profit machine.
The primary business of the money centers is to help customers do the day-to-day business of cashing their work or government checks, bill-payments, transferring of money or loading up a prepaid debit card.
All of the small fees paid for the services add up to huge business across the nation, and promise to be another winner for Wal-Mart.
As far as a bank charter, Wal-Mart no longer has the desire to pursue that avenue, as they know with their base customer they've tapped into the main well of revenue in this particular part of their lives, and a bank charter would do nothing to add to the services they want or seek.
Wal-Mart Money Centers
It could be that the refusal to be offered a bank charter is one of the best things to have happened to Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT), as it forced them to look at other ways to financially serve their customers, and as usual, they've come up with a highly profitable one.
Most of the customers using the approximate 1,000 "Money Centers" offered by Wal-Mart are those that don't use banks. The giant retailer is now looking to expand those Money Centers to another 500 stores, bringing the total to 1,500, or about half the number of stores in the United States.
The money centers have become a very lucrative trade for Wal-Mart, and is highly profitable, as there's little costs other than those handling the transactions, which amount to between 3 to 5 million a week on a national basis.
Costs are also low to put the financial units in a store as well, making them a quick-producing profit machine.
The primary business of the money centers is to help customers do the day-to-day business of cashing their work or government checks, bill-payments, transferring of money or loading up a prepaid debit card.
All of the small fees paid for the services add up to huge business across the nation, and promise to be another winner for Wal-Mart.
As far as a bank charter, Wal-Mart no longer has the desire to pursue that avenue, as they know with their base customer they've tapped into the main well of revenue in this particular part of their lives, and a bank charter would do nothing to add to the services they want or seek.
Wal-Mart Money Centers
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