StockCall Study on Lowe’s, OfficeMax, Hawaiian Holdings, Caesars Entertainment, and DeVry (WSJ)
2013 began on a solid note as lawmakers reached a last-minute deal on the fiscal cliff issue. The last-minute deal ended uncertainty surrounding the U.S. economy. Economic data released in the first two months of 2013, meanwhile, suggested that the economy was seeing a strong recovery. The rebound in economic activity, and passage of fiscal cliff deal was a positive development for services sector. However, data posted in the last few weeks indicates that the U.S. economic recovery has stalled. This does not augur well for services companies such as Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW), OfficeMax Incorporated (NYSE:OMX), Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:HA), Caesars Entertainment Corp (NASDAQ:CZR), and DeVry Inc. (NYSE:DV). The services sector ended mostly higher on Friday, tracking gains in the broad market.
Horseshoe Casino Cleveland fined $180,000 (GamingToday)
Horseshoe Casino Cleveland, a joint venture between Rock Ventures Ohio and Caesars Entertainment Corp (NASDAQ:CZR), has been fined $180,000 by the Ohio Casino Control Commission. The regulators charged the casino operator had violated state rules by using unapproved dice and replacing chips with quarters. Also, they said, the casino had mishandled keys and had failed to post a problem-gambling hotline on promotional posters. The casino waived a hearing and accepted the fine. This was the second fine assessed against the casino since it opened in May. The first was for $15,000 in January for using unapproved software for a gambler incentive program.
Coach Inc. third-quarter profit beats estimates (MarketWatch)
Coach, Inc. (NYSE:COH) +9.15% said Tuesday its fiscal third-quarter net income rose to $238.9 million, or 84 cents a share, from $225 million, or 77 cents a share, a year ago. Quarterly net sales rose to $1.19 billion from $1.11 billion a year earlier. Analysts polled by FactSet expected earnings of 80 cents a share and revenue of $1.18 billion. “Internationally, our business is growing rapidly, with China in particular continuing to post excellent gains, and is now on course to generate about $425 million in sales this year,” said Victor Luis, president and chief commercial officer. Reed Krakoff, president and executive creative director, will leave the company in June 2014, when his contract expires, to focus on his own brand, the press release said. Coach said it will raise its cash dividend by 15 cents a share annually to an annual rate of $1.35 a share beginning in July. Shares rose 8.7% in premarket trade.
Coach Fights to Keep Cachet as Competition Rises (WSJ)
When Coach, Inc. (NYSE:COH) +9.14% steps up to deliver fiscal third-quarter results Tuesday, it will do more than just telegraph how its own sales of handbags and leather accessories are going. Coach is a good proxy for mid-to-upper-income and so-called aspirational spenders world-wide. The company is in more than 20 countries, and has U.S. operations that include its own stores, lower-priced outlets and shops in major department stores such as Macy’s, Inc. (NYSE:M) +0.84% Coach is “a style that conveys a sense of treating oneself,” said Paul Swinand, retail analyst at Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ:MORN) +0.20% “There are a lot of people that find it very compelling.”
Stocks to Watch: Netflix, Coach, RadioShack (WSJ)
Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Tuesday’s session are Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX), Coach, Inc. (NYSE:COH) and RadioShack Corporation (NYSE:RSH). Netflix swung to a first-quarter profit as the movie-subscription company continued to add Internet subscribers and unveiled a plan that will allow users to simultaneously stream four videos. Shares jumped 24% premarket to $216.64 as per-share earnings topped the company’s expectations. Coach’s fiscal third-quarter earnings rose 6.2% as the luxury handbag and accessories maker’s sales edged out consensus estimates. The company’s board approved increasing the annual dividend 13%. Shares surged 14% to $57.50 premarket as per-share earnings also topped views.
