Editor’s Note: Related tickers: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT), Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT), Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE:JWN), Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAS), Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:SHLD), Dollar General Corp. (NYSE:DG), Dollar Tree, Inc. (NASDAQ:DLTR), Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST)
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT) has just crossed the 52 week high level and made a new all time high. The current price is $77.91, +0.62 (0.80%). The level of $78.00-$79.00 represents a great shorting opportunity for many reasons, listed below. 1. Major trend line of resistance at $78.00-$79.00. Connect the high from 1999 to 2012. That trend line extends to a price of $78.00. …These are just the main reasons why the stock will pull back from the $78.00-79.00 range. Take the seven day free trial to the Research Center. Join the elite pros as they give swing trade alerts, daily hardcore videos, research reports and live broadcasts. More importantly, learn the proprietary methodology that stems an 80-90% success rate, years tested. Learn to make more money than the hedge funds and institutions. Join today and profit for life.
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT) Traders Eye Uncharted Territory (SchaeffersResearch)
Shares of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT) came within a chip shot of their record high yesterday. This positive price action prompted one group of investors to scoop up the stock’s June 77.50 calls, betting on a trek into uncharted territory for the blue chip. Of the 4,797 contracts traded at this near-the-money call, 90% changed hands at the ask price, implied volatility ticked higher, and open interest added 4,225 positions overnight. Summing it all up, it appears a number of these contracts were bought to open. …As such, WMT’s Schaeffer’s put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 0.68 ranks lower than 97% of similar readings taken in the last year. In other words, short-term speculators have rarely been more call-heavy toward the stock.
Target Corporation (TGT), Nordstrom, Inc. (JWN) & More: Three Solid Dividends From Everyday Brands (InsiderMonkey)
Long-term investors know two important things: Dividends are excellent and good companies are built to last. In a rapidly changing marketplace, those two factors can be difficult to find in the same company. Some high-yielding dividends are high simply because the companies are slowly sinking. On the other hand, some good, rock-steady brands pay horrible dividends. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t find a diamond in the rough every now and then. Here are three companies with solid dividends that aren’t going anywhere. …Looking through who’s paying out, I’m struck by Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT), Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE:JWN), and Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAS). Now that’s not to say that they’ve got the highest yields in the market, but they have a decent yield, and I trust that in 15 or 50 years, they’ll all be around to keep the cash coming in.
Today’s Research on Dollar General, Target, Dollar Tree, and Costco Wholesale (SacBee)
Consumer spending in the U.S. is expected to remain robust in 2013, driven by improving labor market. Notwithstanding last week’s disappointing data, the labor market has been showing signs of improvement. Consumer confidence has also been boosted by a strong recovery in the housing market. For discount and variety stores such as Dollar General Corp. (NYSE:DG), Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT), Dollar Tree, Inc. (NASDAQ:DLTR), and Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST), the rebound in consumer spending augurs well. On Monday, discount and variety stores stocks ended mostly higher, tracking gains in the broad market.
Jefferies Raises PT on Costco Wholesale on Expected Overall Comp Store Sales (Benzinga)
In a report published Tuesday, Jefferies analyst Daniel Binder reiterated a Hold rating on Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ: COST), and raised the price target from $92.00 to $97.00. In the report, Binder noted, “We are expecting an overall comp store sales increase of 5-6%. We are also forecasting the core U.S. comp store sales will increase in a range of 5-6%. The company’s rich multiple at over 21x August 14E EPS appears to more than reflect the strong traffic gains and higher store growth this year.” Costco Wholesale Corporation closed on Monday at $107.04.
Trident recognized as ‘principal partner: Bath’ by Sears Holdings (TimesOfIndia)
Textile manufacturers Trident Limited has been recognized as “Principal Partner – Bath” for the year 2012-13 by Sears Holdings Corporation, a leading integrated retailer with over 2,600 full-line and specialty retail stores in the United States and Canada. The company bagged the honor for partnering with Sears for developing successful Bath shop programs for the company. The award was presented to Trident Limited recently at vendor recognition dinner and award ceremony organized by Sears Holdings in Hong Kong.
Wal-Mart donates $1.6M to promote fire safety (Telegram)
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. says it will donate $1.6 million to toward health and safety education in Bangladesh, three months after a fire swept through a factory there, killing 112. The fire raised questions about safety in Bangladesh’s garment industry, which exports clothes to leading Western retailers. Wal-Mart-brand clothing was found in the factory, but the world’s biggest retailer said the factory wasn’t authorized to make its clothes.
Mitch Glaeser: Working to retain talent in our local economy (Gainesville)
Gainesville is on the world stage, and we are not disappointing! Recently, Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:SHLD) was added to Gainesville’s impressive list of business recruitments in recent years. Sears Holdings joins successes that include SumTotal Systems, which came to Gainesville in 2010 and has created over 200 jobs with plans on hiring 100 more in the next year, and Silver Airways and Mindtree Ltd., which both came in 2012 and are creating 120 and 400 jobs, respectively, in the next few years.
How does Target open 124 Canada stores in a year? Time-lapse! (BizJournals)
Target Corp. is having to work fast to get scores of stores opened in Canada this year. Not quite this fast, but fast. The Minneapolis-based retailer’s A Bullseye View blog posted a two-minute video (also embedded below) of the floor-to-ceiling construction of one of its Ontario stores, 24 of which held their grand openings on Friday. Target began opening the stores on a soft-launch basis a few weeks ago.
