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CVS Health’s Analyst Ratings Have Improved in 2018
CVS was upgraded by Citigroup from “neutral” to “buy” on July 9.
What Drove Retail Sales Higher in May?
The United States Census Bureau releases a monthly report on retail sales in the United States. Let’s take a look at the latest data.
Analysts’ Take on CVS Health and Walgreens
Walgreens Boots Alliance and CVS Health are both well-covered stocks. While Walgreens is tracked by 27 analysts, 25 analysts cover CVS.
What Drove Retail Sales Higher in April?
The April retail sales report indicated that the gains were broad-based with nine of the 13 major categories moving higher during the month.
Discussing Walgreens’s Top Line, Pre-2Q18 Results
The second quarter of 2018 is expected to be one of Walgreens Boots Alliance’s (WBA) strongest quarters in two years.
Dollar General Reports Better-than-Expected Sales Comps in 4Q17
As we discussed in Part 1 of this series, Dollar General (DG) reported its fourth-quarter 2017 results on March 15.
Analyzing the Retail Sales Drop in January
The advance estimates for US retail (XRT) and food services in January 2018 were $492 billion—a decrease of 0.3% from December.
Retail Sales Had the Best Year since 2012
Retail sales (RTH) have posted impressive growth in 2017. However, the growth is still below the long-term average.
Wall Street’s Take on Walgreens as It Enters 2018
As we discussed in the previous part of this series, Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) has failed to please investors in 2017. The stock is down 12% YTD (year-to-date) and is trading at $72.86.
How Could Walgreens’ Bottom Line Shape Up in Fiscal 2018?
Walgreens Boots Alliance’s (WBA) earnings are projected to rise 14.5% YoY (year-over-year), according to Wall Street, during the first quarter of 2018.
What a Rise in Retail Sales Means for the Sector
The United States Census Bureau’s latest retail (XRT) sales report was released on December 14, 2017. It reported that retail sales for November have risen 0.8%.
What Rising Services Activity Means for the US Economy
After reaching a lifetime high in October 2017, the ISM (Institute of Supply Management) non-manufacturing index fell 2.7 percentage points to 57.4%.
Dollar General’s Better-than-Expected Sales Comps
As we discussed in Part 1 of this series, Dollar General (DG) reported its results for the third quarter of 2017 (or 3Q17) on December 7.
Which Industry Helped Retail Sales Grow in October?
Core sales—excluding energy (XLE), building materials, and auto sales—also rose 0.4% in October, which is a positive sign for the economy.
Analyzing Walgreens’ 4Q17 Earnings Beat
Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) reported a 22.4% YoY (year-over-year) rise in its adjusted EPS (earnings per share), which stood at $1.31 for 4Q17.
Walgreens: Strong 4Q17 Results Support the Falling Stock Price
Walgreens Boots Alliance’s strong 4Q17 results were received well by the market. The company’s stock price rose 3% and closed at $69.36 on October 25.
Walgreens’ Top Line ahead of Its Fiscal 4Q17 Results
During the first nine months of 2017 (or 9M17), Walgreens Boots Alliance’s total sales increased 0.9% YoY to $89.5 billion.
How Wall Street Analysts View Walgreens and CVS
Of the 25 analysts tracking WBA in October 2017, ~68% recommended a “buy” rating on the stock while the rest suggested a “hold.”
Walgreens versus CVS: Comparing Near-Term Earnings Potential
Wall Street analysts are projecting 11.2% earnings growth for Walgreens over the next year.
What’s Happening with Sam’s Club’s Top-Line?
Walmart’s (WMT) Sam’s Club is in the middle of a revamping process aimed at driving sales and profitability for the segment.
How Realty Income’s Dividend Yield Looks
Revenue and earnings Realty Income (O), a retail REIT engaged in US real estate investment, recorded 8% revenue growth in 2016, compared with 10% growth in 2015. The growth was driven by rentals and tenant reimbursements. Its operating costs and other expenses (including interest expenses) rose 6% in 2016 and 8% in 2015. Its gains on asset […]
What’s Contributing to Kohl’s Dividend Yield
The story behind Kohl’s rising yield Department store retailer Kohl’s (KSS) saw its sales fall 3% in 2016, driven by lower comparable sales, after recording growth in 2015. Like Macy’s, it was impacted by online competition, store closures, discounts, and advertisements. Its operating income fell 8% in 2015 and 24% in 2016, while its operating […]
Dollar General’s Fiscal 2Q17 Earnings Overview
Dollar General (DG) released its fiscal 2Q17 results on Thursday, August 31, 2017. The results relate to the three-month period ending August 4, 2017.
Kroger Getting Ready to Report 2Q18 Results: What to Expect
The Cincinnati-based Kroger (KR) is slated to report its second-quarter 2018 results at 10:00 AM EDT on September 8, 2017.
Exploring Amazon’s Acquisition of Whole Foods
On June 16, 2017, Amazon, the world’s largest diversified online retailer, announced its intention to acquire Whole Foods Market for $13.7 billion in an all-cash transaction.
Where Will Walgreens’ Earnings Head in Fiscal 3Q17?
Walgreens Boots Alliance’s (WBA) fiscal 3Q17 earnings per share (or EPS) are expected to rise 10.2% YoY (year-over-year) to $1.30.
Why Did Whole Foods Consider a Sale?
As competition increased, premium grocer Whole Foods Market (WFM) failed to compete with the low-priced products on the shelves of Kroger (KR) and Walmart (WMT).
Amazon to Buy Whole Foods in $13.7 Billion Deal
Amazon (AMZN) announced on Friday, June 16, 2017, that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Whole Foods Market (WFM) for $13.7 billion in an all-cash transaction.
Walmart Keeps Making This Harder for Kroger
Kroger’s (KR) sales comps turned negative in fiscal 4Q17. It cited deflation as the key reason, but analysts have also pointed to rising competition.
Inside Kroger’s Fiscal 1Q18 Expectations: An Investor Overview
Kroger (KR) will report its fiscal 1Q18 results on June 15 and is expected to post an 18.6% fall in EPS to $0.57 and total sales of $35.7 billion.
How Much Has Dollar General Returned to Shareholders This Year?
Dollar General’s (DG) stock has failed to reward investors this year.
Dollar General’s Earnings Likely to Slide This Quarter
Tennessee-based Dollar General (DG) is slated to release results for 1Q17 on Wednesday, May 31, 2017.
Here’s What’s Driving Walmart’s Sam’s Club
Walmart’s (WMT) Sam’s Club reported better-than-expected comps growth in fiscal 1Q18 thanks to the company’s strategic efforts to drive traffic and strong e-commerce sales.
Why Target’s 1Q17 Sales Could Disappoint
Target (TGT) has been witnessing sluggish sales. The company marked its fifth consecutive quarter of falling sales in 1Q17 as its store traffic fell, hurting its comps growth.
A Look at Dollar General’s Shareholder Returns
Dollar General (DG) has been trading on the New York Stock Exchange since 2009. The company had traded on the stock exchange for around 40 years until it was acquired by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts’ (KKR).
Understanding Dollar General’s Business Strategies
Dollar General’s (DG) business strategy revolves around driving profitable topline growth while enhancing its low-cost operator position and capturing new growth opportunities.
Understanding Dollar General’s Key Product Offerings
Dollar General (DG) is the largest discount store retailers in the United States in terms of total revenue generated.
Walmart Strengthens Its e-Commerce Arm: Should Amazon Worry?
Walmart (WMT) has taken a series of strategic measures to beef up its e-commerce arm.
Why Whole Foods Must Consider Strategic Alternatives
In this article, we’ll discuss Whole Foods’ financial performance to better understand what prompted Jana to consider strategic alternatives for the company.
WBA in the UK: What Happened Internationally in Fiscal 2Q17
WBA’s Retail Pharmacy International segment’s sales fell 14.5% YoY to $3.1 billion, primarily due to currency headwinds and weakness in UK pharmacy sales.
Costco on the Street: Analyst Recommendations
Of the 32 analysts covering Costco (COST), 69.0% have rated the stock as a “buy” as of April 5. The stock has been rated as a “hold” by 31% of these analysts.
Wall Street Optimistic on Walgreens ahead of Fiscal 2Q17 Results
Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) is currently trading at $83.56 as of March 27, 2017, which is ~5.3% below its 52-week high.
Why Walmart Is Investing Heavily in E-Commerce
If we look at the recent performance of the company, Walmart’s US (SPY) segment has benefited from the company’s e-commerce initiatives.
Walmart’s E-Commerce Sales: A Vital Growth Driver
Walmart (WMT) has invested immensely in fortifying its position in the online space against its bigger rival, Amazon.com (AMZN).
What to Expect from Dollar General’s 4Q16 Results
Wall Street has predicted that Dollar General’s EPS will rise 8.7% YoY (year-over-year) to $1.41 on sales growth of 12.9% in the fourth quarter.
Costco’s Fiscal 2Q17 Margins: The Way Forward
During fiscal 2Q17, Costco’s gross margin (as a percentage of net sales) contracted 24 bps (basis points) to 11.0%.
Kroger’s Fiscal 4Q17 EPS Falls 7% as Deflation Hits Margins and Comps
For fiscal 2018, Kroger (KR) guided an EPS range of $2.21–$2.25. At the midpoint, this implies an increment of ~5.2% over the previous year’s earnings.
Target Stock Plunges after 4Q16 Earnings and Revenue Miss
Target (TGT), the third-largest mass merchandiser in the US, declared results for 4Q16 on February 28, 2017.
Why Target’s Comps Are Likely to Stay Negative in 4Q16
Target’s (TGT) top line contracted more than 6% YoY (year-over-year) in the first nine months of 2016.
KR’s Earnings Likely to Fall for the Second Time in Fiscal 2017
While Kroger (KR) successfully maintained strong top line growth during the first nine months of 2017, persistent deflation and rising competition started eating at its bottom line.
