Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Strategies & Market Trends : Can you beat 50% per month? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Smiling Bob who wrote (5126)	12/17/2002 10:28:14 AM
From: Smiling Bob	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 19256

TGT 29.35 ask Down $2.33 from yesterday More to come Sales down sharply DEC will come in at the low end of forecast, at best. They have seen their glory days. Message 18340891 To:scottonstocks who wrote (5125) From: scottonstocks Monday, Dec 16, 2002 11:12 AM Respond to of 5138 TGT 31.68 bid Short term short Selling crap and lending buyers money to do so, and now they're defaulting. Target shares slump after poor sales week Tuesday December 17, 10:04 am ET CHICAGO, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Shares of retailer Target Corp. (NYSE:TGT - News) slipped nearly 6 percent Tuesday after the discount and department store operator said its sales were well below expectations so far in December, the biggest holiday shopping month. ADVERTISEMENT Minneapolis-based Target, which operates its namesake discount stores as well as Marshall Field's and Mervyn's department stores, on Monday after the bell cited slack demand for sporting goods and men's and women's clothing for disappointing sales last week. Britt Beemer, a consumer expert and head of research firm America's Research Group, said his latest survey found that more people shopped at bankrupt discount retailer Kmart Corp. (NYSE:KM - News) last weekend than at Target. Based on his survey of 1,003 consumers on Sunday night, Beemer found that 43.1 percent of U.S. consumers went shopping last weekend, with half going to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE:WMT - News). Kmart was a strong second with 21.1 percent, followed by Sears, Roebuck and Co. (NYSE:S - News), J.C. Penney Co. Inc. (NYSE:JCP - News) and then Target. Target, among the most actively traded shares, saw its stock fall about 6 percent, or $1.95 at $29.85 in early New York Stock Exchange trading, underperforming the Standard & Poor's retailing index (^GSPMS - News), which was down 0.9 percent. While analysts are still counting on a strong surge of last-minute shoppers to take up the slack, Beemer said his survey found 44.7 percent of consumers have finished their holiday shopping -- slightly ahead of last year's pace. "Given the importance of the upcoming week leading up to Christmas, we believe that Target could achieve the low end of plan," Deborah Weinswig, retail analyst with Salomon Smith Barney, said in a research note. Target is forecasting sales at stores open at least one year will increase 3 percent to 5 percent in December. biz.yahoo.com

To: Smiling Bob who wrote (5126)	12/23/2002 12:56:02 PM
From: Smiling Bob	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 19256

Can't even give the stuff away! The frugalest of shoppers wait to get paid to haul it away after Xmas Holiday Sales Coming Down to the Wire Monday December 23, 12:25 pm ET By Emily Kaiser CHICAGO (Reuters) - Time is running out for U.S. retailers to salvage holiday sales as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE:WMT - News) and other major chain stores on Monday reported another week of disappointing demand, as aggressive advertising and discounts failed to lure frugal shoppers. ADVERTISEMENT The busiest shopping weekend of the year may be over, but retailers are still holding out hope that a last rush of shoppers and strong after-Christmas sales will do the trick. Investors were less sanguine on sales prospects, sending shares in the Standard & Poor's Retailing Index (^GSPMS - News) down 1.9 percent in midday trading. "As many companies are not seeing improved sales momentum as we approach the holiday, we expect sales and profit warnings over the coming weeks," Dan Barry, retail analyst with Merrill Lynch said in a research note. Even J.C. Penney Co. Inc. (NYSE:JCP - News), which had been outpacing the sector, stumbled last week, reporting sales that were slightly weaker than it had planned. In another ominous sign for the retail sector, consumer electronics chain Tweeter Home Entertainment Group Inc. (NasdaqNM:TWTR - News) on Monday warned its quarterly profit would fall well short of Wall Street expectations on weak holiday sales, sending its shares down more than 33 percent. Wal-Mart, the world's biggest retailer, said its December sales at stores open at least a year -- or same-store sales -- were running at the low end of its expectations for growth in the range of 3 percent to 5 percent. In a recorded sales update covering the week ended Friday, Dec. 20, it said same-store sales at its namesake discount stores were running slightly below its forecast, and its Sam's Club discount stores might report a drop in same-store sales. Wal-Mart's report did not include the Saturday before Christmas, which has become the busiest shopping day of the year, eclipsing the so-called Black Friday after Thanksgiving. "We're hearing about some increasing strength on Saturday and there's still a couple big, big days to go before Christmas," said retail analyst Todd Slater of Lazard Freres. "Consumers tend to wait longer and longer every year. Procrastination may be hitting all-time highs," Slater said. EXTRA HOURS, BIGGER MARKDOWNS Retailers slashed prices and extended store hours in hopes of drawing shoppers over the weekend in a holiday season marred by a sluggish economy and the threat of war with Iraq, which have crushed consumer confidence -- and spending. Analysts were looking for the sector to post only modest gains in holiday sales this year, but a weak December could push results below even conservative forecasts. Nine of the 10 biggest shopping days of the year usually fall in December. Wal-Mart reported strong demand for seasonal merchandise last week, but said it was difficult to predict overall sales trends in the holiday season as customers buy "closer to the event" of Christmas. Elizabeth Shamir, retail analyst with PNC Advisors, said the late demand for seasonal decorations -- which are usually early season purchases -- was "evidence, not just wishful thinking" that last-minute demand may still materialize. PNC owns about 227 million Wal-Mart shares. J.C. Penney, which had been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise lackluster sector, struggled last week as well. It reported sales at its namesake department stores were "a little softer" than it had expected. However, its December same-store sales were still running slightly ahead of its forecast for a percentage increase in the low-single digits, bolstered by a strong start to the month. KMART, FEDERATED Bankrupt discount retailer Kmart Corp. (Other OTC:KMRTQ.PK - News) reported October same-store sales fell 3.9 percent -- its smallest decline since it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January, but November same-store sales tumbled 17.2 percent, hurt by a late Thanksgiving. Kmart's fiscal period ends on the last Wednesday of the month, so November's results did not include the Thanksgiving weekend shopping period, which was counted in last year's tally. As a result, it forecast December's sales would improve from November's. Federated Department Stores Inc. (NYSE:FD - News), the parent of Macy's and Bloomingdale's, said demand did not pick up as much as it had hoped last week. In a recorded update covering results through Saturday, Dec. 21, Federated said it now looked likely that same-store sales for November and December would miss its goal of flat to down 2.5 percent. "Never have the last days of the holiday season been so vital to the retail industry's bottom line as this year," said Jordan Kaplan, professor of managerial science at New York's Long Island University. Still to come on Monday is the weekly update from discount and department store operator Target Corp. (NYSE:TGT - News). biz.yahoo.com