retail sales
What McDonalds Has to Say About the Global Economy
By George Leong for Investment Contrarians | Apr 30, 2013
You can tell a lot about the pulse of the economy by examining the retail sales and restaurant sector. When people are working and making money, they tend to be more confident and want to spend, especially non-discretionary spending.
In the fast-food restaurant sector, the “Best of Breed” is McDonalds Corporation (NYSE/MCD).
The company has numerous rivals and the sector is extremely competitive, but there is no real and valid threat on the horizon for McDonalds that could affect it.
Characterized by its familiar “golden arches,” which are sometimes visible from miles away, the company is a true American icon, just like General Motors Company (NYSE/GM).
Yet McDonalds is also a decent indicator on how the United States and global economy are faring.
The current level and valuation of stocks suggest everything is going well and on target with the global economy.
But, sorry to break it to you: the path to sustained economic renewal is still filled with potholes.
As I’ve previously written in these pages, the global economy and performance of the stock markets have been built by the easy money injected into the global monetary system by the world’s central banks, including our friends at the Federal Reserve.
So when I begin to see slowing at some of the key multinational companies, I wonder about the condition of the global economy.
McDonalds is a decent barometer on the global economy and, based on what I’m seeing, I sense there’s some stalling in the global economy.
In the first-quarter earnings season, McDonalds reported a marginal one-percent rise in its consolidated revenues due to the slowing in Europe and … Read More
Why Today’s Weak Durable Goods Numbers Foreshadow Low Confidence
By George Leong for Investment Contrarians | Apr 26, 2013
Consumers appear to be holding back on buying non-essential goods, and this could impact the economic recovery.
The durable goods orders contracted a dismal 5.7% in March, according to the United States Census Bureau, representing the largest decline in seven months—a far cry from the 4.3% rise in February and well below the Briefing.com estimate calling for a four percent decline.
Taking out the volatile transportation portion, durable goods fell 1.4%, versus the Briefing.com estimate of -0.1%, equaling the second straight month of declines.
The durable goods readings have largely been inconsistent, as reflected in the chart below, and suggest the economic recovery may be at risk.
Chart copyright © Lombardi Publishing Corporation, 2013;
Data source: United States Census Bureau, April 25, 2013
When consumers are more confident, they tend to spend more on major purchases in the retail sector, such as homes, vehicles, furniture, appliances, and travel. This will impact the economic recovery, gross domestic product (GDP) growth, and the ability of companies to expand their businesses.
But whether it’s the added taxes or the fragile confidence from the lack of strong jobs growth, the decline in the demand for goods that are deemed non-essential should be a red flag that not everything is proceeding along smoothly, which could affect the economic recovery.
The fact remains that jobs creation is fragile and not expected to ratchet higher until 2014 and 2015, due to the slow economic recovery.
The recent 88,000 jobs created in March was weak, so it will be interesting to see what happens with the April non-farm payrolls reading due next Friday.
Retail sales have also been … Read More
Economic Growth Falters: Which Stocks to Buy or Avoid
By Sasha Cekerevac for Investment Contrarians | Apr 18, 2013
One of the most closely watched parts of the global financial system is the Chinese economy. I don’t need to tell you that the economic recovery in America and the rest of the world is quite sluggish. Many had hoped that China could help propel the global economy higher; however, there are now concerns that this might not occur.
Recent data on the Chinese economy are signs that economic growth is not accelerating. For the first three months of 2013, the Chinese economy posted growth of 7.7%, a lower rate than the fourth quarter of 2012, in which the Chinese economy grew at 7.9%. (Source: Yao, K., et al., “China growth risks in focus as first quarter data falls short,” Reuters, April 15, 2013, accessed April 16, 2013.)
The Chinese economy is a huge player within the international financial system. If the nation was to regain its economic growth rate of the past, this would have a substantial impact on many people and companies around the world.
The Chinese economy posted industrial production growth of 8.9% year-over-year, below expectations of 10% growth. Power generation was up only 2.1% year-over-year in March, and steel output declined 3.2%, both below expectations.
Don’t forget, China is a huge buyer of many raw materials, including copper and iron ore. This latest data is additional evidence that economic growth is not accelerating, and investors need to reallocate their portfolios in accordance with this information.
One slight positive note was that retail sales within the Chinese economy increased 12.6% year-over-year in March, above expectations of 12.5% and higher than the recorded 12.3% increase for February.
The … Read More
Latest Retail Data Sending Warning to Investors
By Sasha Cekerevac for Investment Contrarians | Apr 17, 2013
With the market hitting all-time highs, many investors are wondering how investor sentiment can be so positive when job creation is still not as strong as it should be. This divergence between the financial markets and the real economy cannot last forever.
Investor sentiment has been propped up by the Federal Reserve, which is trying to prime and ignite the U.S. economy. While job creation is certainly better now than it was a few years ago, there is still much more work that needs to be accomplished.
One very visible sign that the economy is not running at 100% capacity was the recently released retail sales data. For March, retail sales decreased by 0.4%, although this did follow a very strong February that showed a one-percent gain. A survey of 85 economists by Bloomberg had a median forecast of zero (unchanged) from March. (Source: Kowalski, A., “Retail Sales in U.S. Declined by Most in Nine Months,” Bloomberg, April 12, 2013.)
Job creation obviously plays a very important role when it comes to retail sales. And remember that like most developed nations, a vast majority of the U.S. economy is based on consumer spending.
In this case, investor sentiment might have become too bullish on retail-oriented stocks. If job creation does not accelerate, we could see a further impact on discretionary spending, which would break down investor sentiment throughout this year.
However, this recent retail sales data might have been a blip, as the trend is still fairly strong. Remember that one data point does not make a trend. Following stronger-than-expected data earlier in the year, a pullback was expected due … Read More
Don’t Be Fooled by the Retail Numbers—Just Be Selective
By George Leong for Investment Contrarians | Apr 16, 2013
When interest rates are as low as they are and consumers begin to hold back on their spending, you have to wonder about the prospects for the retail sector going forward.
With the higher taxes on those earning over $400,000 and other tax increases as a result of the sequestration, we may be seeing some evidence of reduced spending.
The U.S. Department of Commerce said retail sales in March contracted by 0.4% on both a headline and an ex-auto basis, which was below the Briefing.com estimates of flat sales and 0.3%, respectively. This was the second decline in retail sales in the last three months.
While it may be premature to assume a new downtrend for retail sales, I wonder if the decline in take-home pay for some Americans has resulted in less consumer spending.
Or, it may be the softness of the jobs market that is making consumers nervous. With only 88,000 new jobs created in March, the jobs numbers must have had some impact on consumers and the retail sector.
Even consumer sentiment appears to be fading a bit as evidenced by the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index reading of 72.3 in April. This reading represented the worst reading since July 2012, and it’s well below the 76.0 estimate by Briefing.com and the 78.6 reading in February.
According to my estimate, the retail sector continues to be full of opportunities, but you also need to be careful on what retail stocks you buy.
You would have been sideswiped if you bought J. C. Penney Company, Inc. (NYSE/JCP), as the company posted horrible results and subsequently fired … Read More
Why America’s Confidence Is Fragile
By George Leong for Investment Contrarians | Feb 13, 2013
The recession is over, and the U.S. economy is showing some encouraging signs of economic renewal.
Shoppers are hitting the malls and stores, helping to drive up retail sales. I’d stick with the top department stores, like Macys, Inc. (NYSE/M), or discounters, such as Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE/WMT), which will continue to rebound.
The housing sector has been sizzling since the recession, with a superlative rise in housing starts, building permits, and home prices. Homebuilder stocks, including the developers of residential real estate, are sizzling on the charts—Toll Brothers, Inc. (NYSE/TOL) and Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE/HOV), especially.
Since the recession, the jobs market is showing some growth, with the unemployment rate holding just below eight percent. As the jobs market recovers, look to some of the staffing companies, such as Robert Half International Inc. (NYSE/RHI), Manpower Inc. (NYSE/MAN), and Kelly Services, Inc. (NASDAQ/KELYA), to deliver.
So, America appears to be headed in the right direction since the recession hit; but underneath all of the economic jargon and positive media headlines about the “Great Recovery” in America’s economic engine, there’s still a sense that many people are still trapped in economic despair, feeling the impact of the recession.
After scanning through “Diminished Lives and Futures: A Portrait of America in the Great-Recession Era,” I can see that uneasiness and worry remains a real issue in the minds of Americans. (Source: Szeltner, S., et al., Worktrends February 2013, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey web site, last accessed February 12, 2013.)
Some of the key findings of the research were as follows:
• About 90% of the respondents remained worried about … Read More
The Dangers of the Current Monetary Policy Program
By Sasha Cekerevac for Investment Contrarians | Jan 10, 2013
At the end of 2008, the financial crisis in America was so severe that the Federal Reserve began a historically significant and unprecedented monetary policy program, which has continued to this day, dramatically altering the financial and economic landscape.
Considering the extent and breadth of this huge monetary policy program by the Federal Reserve, two questions linger: why hasn’t the economy recovered as many economists had expected, and what is the downside?
Monetary policy is an extremely complicated initiative, with the end result not easily quantified or predictable. One of the most common complaints has been the lack of income from savers due to the lowered interest rates.
There is some validity that a massive amount of income has been foregone from savers because of these lower rates, due to easy monetary policy by the Federal Reserve and other central banks around the world.
According to The Economist, personal interest income has declined at an annual rate of $432 billion since 2008, more than four percent disposable income. This was interest income that was not generated and, ultimately, not spent in the economy. (Source: “Savers’ Lament,” The Economist, December 1, 2012, last accessed January 7, 2013.)
However, the situation is far more complex, as there are two sides to every coin. The lowered interest rates due to easy monetary policy by the Federal Reserve have also decreased the costs of borrowing.
The Bank of England conducted a study showing that between 2008 and 2012, the lowered interest rates ended up costing savers 70 billion pounds in lost income, but households saved 100 billion pounds in interest expense. (Source: The Economist, … Read More
Why the Fiscal Cliff Is Impacting Consumer Spending
By George Leong for Investment Contrarians | Dec 17, 2012
The fiscal cliff is causing a drag on the economy and, in particular, consumers’ desire to spend, due to the uncertainty of how the budgetary cuts and tax increases will impact income. If the fiscal cliff is allowed to proceed—and it will to some degree—the reality is that taxes will rise. I’m not sure if the middle class and those who earn less than $250,000 will be spared, but I do feel there will be a compromise made on the income tax increases.
In the meantime, consumers are likely to be hesitant to spend in the retail sector. The headline retail sales reading rose 0.3% in November, which was below the Briefing.com 0.6% estimate but up from -0.3% in October. The ex-auto reading was flat, lower than the Briefing.com 0.2% estimate. While the November numbers don’t translate into December, I’m sensing the uncertainty of the fiscal cliff will impact consumer spending in this key shopping season for the retail sector.
We are heading into the heart of the holiday shopping season. I’m sure the retail sector is anxiously praying for consumers to spend. A strong shopping season in the retail sector will also go a long way to helping the economic recovery, while also giving the stock market good news.
The two recent jobs reports added some optimism to the retail sector; albeit, I doubt it will be enough to drive consumers to the malls and online to spend. We need to see progressive and stronger job creation going forward to instill some confidence in shoppers. In the best-case scenario, if job creation rises, this would likely translate into higher … Read More
Get Ready to Make Some Quick Profits on This Day
By George Leong for Investment Contrarians | Nov 20, 2012
We are heading toward the key Thanksgiving “Black Friday” to “Cyber Monday” retail sales period, and if all goes well, there could be some quick profits to be made in the market.
In 2011, strong retail sales on Black Friday gave a boost to the stock market, as the S&P 500 climbed nearly nine percent between November 25 and December 7, 2011.
The same could happen this year, except we still need to deal with the pending fiscal cliff.
Yet I feel that a strong showing in retail sales during the four-day key selling period beginning on Friday could help to attract some buying from Wall Street—a near-term boost, at the least, for a market that is full of uncertainties.
Let me first say that this holiday retail sales season will be critical for retailers.
Retail sales have increased for three straight years, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF), and the hope is for a fourth year of increases.
The NRF is optimistic and estimates that this holiday retail sales season will generate sales of $586.1 billion, up from $563.0 billion in 2011 (Source: “Holiday FAQ,” National Retail Federation, accessed November 19, 2012.)
There is also optimism for those shoppers who choose to shop from the comfort of their homes or convenience of their mobile devices. I know I’m in that group.
According to Adobe Systems Incorporated (NASDAQ/ADBE), online sales on Cyber Monday, the Monday following Thanksgiving, are estimated to rise 18% year-over-year to $2.0 billion. (“Adobe Predicts Online Sales Will Reach $2 Billion This Cyber Monday, Growing by 18 Percent Over 2011,” Daily Finance via Business Wire, November … Read More
Why I Continue to Favor the Discounters
By George Leong for Investment Contrarians | Nov 2, 2012
I recently discussed the upcoming key holiday shopping season that officially begins with the critical Black Friday on November 23 and its importance to the retail sector.
Discounter Target Corporation (NYSE/TGT) reported a slower rise in sales in October and will be betting on the holiday shopping season when some retailers can generate up to 40% of the company’s total annual sales. (Source: AP, “Target October sales figure rises,” Yahoo! Finance from The Associated Press, November 1, 2012.)
Consumer spending drives the retail sector, economy, and gross domestic product (GDP) growth.
Retail sales for October, excluding drugstores (comprising of 18 national retailers polled by Thomson Reuters), surged a better-than-expected 4.7% versus the estimate of 4.3%. (Source: “Retailers Report an Upbeat October,” The New York Times, November 1, 2012.)
The pickup in the retail sector is encouraging; and with the current decline in gasoline prices, the pickup in jobs, and the growing strength in the housing market and prices, retail sales could be strong.
I believe the department stores and some of the specialty retailers will fare well; the key for success in the retail sector is selective picking.
My advice is to continue to stick with the leading discount bellwether retail stocks. In the large-cap retail sector area, the top companies are Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE/WMT), Target Corporation (NYSE/TGT), and Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ/COST).
Costco reported a seven-percent jump in its key same-store sales reading in October, as reported on its web site. The results continue to show steady growth; but for that extra bit of growth, you should look at the smaller discount companies in the retail sector.
Costco, … Read More
Never Mind Black Monday: You Need to Watch Black Friday
By George Leong for Investment Contrarians | Oct 22, 2012
The key holiday shopping season is closing in fast. With the critical “Black Friday,” November 23, a month away, the retail sector will be anxious to see if consumers deliver.
The recent jobs report added some optimism to the retail sector; albeit, I doubt it will be enough to drive consumers to the malls and online to spend. We need to see progressive jobs creation, rather than the single reading, and we want to see a positive pattern. If jobs continue to rise, this would likely translate into higher sales in the retail sector.
Thanksgiving weekend, beginning with Black Friday, is important, as you can see in the chart below. Retail sales have increased in three straight years and the hope is for 2012 to be a banner year. The National Retail Federation is optimistic and estimates this holiday shopping season will generate sales of $586 billion, up from $563 billion in 2011. (Source: “Holiday FAQ,” National Retail Federation, accessed October 19, 2012.)
Copyright Lombardi Publishing 2012; data
source: National Retail Federation
The monthly retail sales numbers in the retail sector are showing some encouraging signs. The Thomson Reuters Same Store Sales Index (comprising of 17 U.S. chains) contracted 3.6% in September, which was in line with the estimate but well down from the 6.4% increase in September 2011. (Source: “U.S. retailers,” September sales up before holiday rush,” Reuters, October 4, 2012.) There’s a lot of work ahead for the retail sector
Consumer confidence in September was encouraging, with a reading of 70.3, above the estimate of 63.0, according to Briefing.com, and the upwardly revised 61.3 in August. Yet the … Read More
Why Larry Ellison’s $500-million Island Purchase Is the Problem
By George Leong for Investment Contrarians | Sep 28, 2012
There are the rich and then there are the mega-rich. A study showed that those with a net worth of at least $25.0 million tend to spend more lavishly on vacations and home renovations, compared to their spending on clothing, cars, and jewelry, according to the Spectrem Group. Then there’s the CEO of Oracle Corporation (NASDAQ/ORCL), Larry Ellison, who purchased the sixth largest island in Hawaii for a cool $500 million. When you are worth over $30.0 billion, dropping half a billion dollars on an island is not a big deal.
As I recently discussed, the income gap between the top one to five percent of income earners and the other 95%–99% is widening, which will likely present problems down the road. In 2009, the Internal Revenue Service pegged the adjusted gross income (AGI) level for the top one percent club at $343,917. To be included in the top five percent, the AGI was $154,643.
While the presidential candidates debate about the economy and monetary policy, one thing is sure—America is on fragile ground and needs a jump start to drive consumer spending in the economy.
Retail sales are showing improvement, but consumer spending on durable goods was horrible in August, when spending on non-essential goods and services cratered at -13.2%, versus the -5.0% estimate and the -4.1% in July. Even when you eliminate the spending in the transportation market sector, consumer spending on durable goods fell 1.6%, again worse than the -0.2% estimate and revised -1.3% in July. Of course, Ellison and the other top five percent aren’t concerned with a personal budget. The reality is that America as … Read More
Spanish Economy in Dire Straits
By George Leong for Investment Contrarians | Aug 7, 2012
Markets were disappointed following the decision of both the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank (ECB) to inject monetary stimulus into their respective economies. And like the Fed, the ECB will look to the bond market for help as it considers another bond-buying program for Spain in hopes of driving down yields with the country facing a financial crisis.
Yet the problem is that Spain needs help now, as the 10-year Spanish bond traded at an unsustainable yield of 7.2% on Friday, which could force the country to seek a bailout to avoid a worsening of the financial crisis. Spain says it doesn’t need a bailout but a loan.
ECB chief Mario Draghi said the central bank would help Spain once it formally requests a bailout. Spain has already received about $130 billion to avert a financial crisis in its fragile banking system. My view is the ECB wants to see Spain put together a tough austerity program in exchange for a bailout, but Spain is trying to avoid this.
A tough austerity program would bind Spain’s spending (but isn’t this needed?). The country is declining in its economic strength. Its economy has fallen to 12th in the world in 2011, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Previously, Spain’s economy was the ninth largest, but with its financial crisis it has since been surpassed by Russia, Canada, and India. Regardless, a collapse in Spain would be devastating.
The thought of tough austerity measures in Spain is causing civil unrest. Just like Greece, the country is facing a financial crisis, a second recession, and an unemployment rate of 25%. The … Read More
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