BKS - News and Analysis from Seeking Alpha 'BKS' Tag RSS Syndication from SeekingAlpha.com SeekingAlpha.com http://seekingalpha.com/symbol/bks Report from Europe: More Soggy Economic Data but Stocks Don't Care http://seekingalpha.com/article/173571-report-from-europe-more-soggy-economic-data-but-stocks-don-t-care?source=feed 173571

Having briefly scanned the dataflow Friday before checking out the price action, your writer had thought he may be confronted with somewhat softer markets. Wrong. Rather, a combination of slightly weaker than expected GDP growth in Europe and a wider trade deficit and decline in consumer confidence in the US seems to have been trumped by a decent earnings report from Walt Disney (DIS) and upped Christmas guidance from JC Penney (JCP). Indeed, in the US, consumer cyclicals led the way with a 1.5% gain, versus a 0.6% gain for the S&P 500. Commodity markets were mixed. The most notable features were a new closing high for gold and another sharp jump in the Baltic Dry Freight Index. The latter is now at its highest level this year, with strong Chinese demand for core and iron ore, port congestion in China and Australia and generally tight ship availability.

Indeed, there is a toy called a “Weeble,” shaped more or less like an egg with a weight at the bottom so that no matter how hard or frequently you try to knock it down, it always bounces back. Risk appetite, it feels, is the market’s Weeble of the moment. As often as it is knocked over by a nugget of bad news, concerns over risk asset valuation or the vagaries of chartists, risk appetite comes bouncing back. The “weight” which ensures the bounce back is a combination of the ongoing improvement in the global economy and the power of the trend. Occasional disappointments on the data front have simply not got the power to force a change in attitude toward risk so long as the trend remains your friend. Monday this argument has been reinforced by yet more dodgy real world data with US retail sales ex autos disappointing at 0.2% versus the 0.4% expected, and the Empire manufacturing survey slipping to 23.51 against a forecast of 30. Yet the market just keeps on rallying.

]]> Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:28:10 -0500 The Mole The Mole submits:

Having briefly scanned the dataflow Friday before checking out the price action, your writer had thought he may be confronted with somewhat softer markets. Wrong. Rather, a combination of slightly weaker than expected GDP growth in Europe and a wider trade deficit and decline in consumer confidence in the US seems to have been trumped by a decent earnings report from Walt Disney (DIS) and upped Christmas guidance from JC Penney (JCP). Indeed, in the US, consumer cyclicals led the way with a 1.5% gain, versus a 0.6% gain for the S&P 500. Commodity markets were mixed. The most notable features were a new closing high for gold and another sharp jump in the Baltic Dry Freight Index. The latter is now at its highest level this year, with strong Chinese demand for core and iron ore, port congestion in China and Australia and generally tight ship availability.

Indeed, there is a toy called a “Weeble,” shaped more or less like an egg with a weight at the bottom so that no matter how hard or frequently you try to knock it down, it always bounces back. Risk appetite, it feels, is the market’s Weeble of the moment. As often as it is knocked over by a nugget of bad news, concerns over risk asset valuation or the vagaries of chartists, risk appetite comes bouncing back. The “weight” which ensures the bounce back is a combination of the ongoing improvement in the global economy and the power of the trend. Occasional disappointments on the data front have simply not got the power to force a change in attitude toward risk so long as the trend remains your friend. Monday this argument has been reinforced by yet more dodgy real world data with US retail sales ex autos disappointing at 0.2% versus the 0.4% expected, and the Empire manufacturing survey slipping to 23.51 against a forecast of 30. Yet the market just keeps on rallying.


Complete Story »]]> DIS JCP BKS C XOM FDX LOW JWN ABX AA NEM INTC S TOL PEUGY.PK DCX WMT BHP RTP LNMIY.PK GOLD VIVEF.PK GE CMCSA TEF HIT SSNLF.PK GDNNY.PK TYEKF.PK SWY KGSPF.PK CPYYY.PK The Mole Amazon's Kindle Heats Things Up for Barnes & Noble http://seekingalpha.com/article/172889-amazon-s-kindle-heats-things-up-for-barnes-noble?source=feed 172889 Competition is heating up in the e-reader market. Amazon (AMZN), which has seen its short base gradually decline to currently 4%, is releasing Kindle for the PC, compatible with the new Windows 7 OS.

Barnes & Noble (BKS), which has recently seen its short base stabilize after a sharp move up two weeks ago and now sits at 29% (representing 96% of the shares available to borrow), is due to launch the Nook reader, complementing existing software for Mac, PC and iPhone. Barnes & Noble has also been discussed as a potential acquirer of Borders (BGP), which has decided to close bookstores in the U.S.. The short position in Borders currently stands at 4%, down from its recent peak of 4%.

]]> Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:02:46 -0500 Data Explorers Jessica Johnson submits:

Competition is heating up in the e-reader market. Amazon (AMZN), which has seen its short base gradually decline to currently 4%, is releasing Kindle for the PC, compatible with the new Windows 7 OS.

Barnes & Noble (BKS), which has recently seen its short base stabilize after a sharp move up two weeks ago and now sits at 29% (representing 96% of the shares available to borrow), is due to launch the Nook reader, complementing existing software for Mac, PC and iPhone. Barnes & Noble has also been discussed as a potential acquirer of Borders (BGP), which has decided to close bookstores in the U.S.. The short position in Borders currently stands at 4%, down from its recent peak of 4%.


Complete Story »]]> AMZN BKS AAPL MSFT BGP Data Explorers Barnes & Noble: A Sale on BKS http://seekingalpha.com/article/172470-barnes-noble-a-sale-on-bks?source=feed 172470 The price war between Amazon (AMZN) and Wal-Mart (WMT) over best-selling books got a lot of press recently. It hasn't done Barnes & Noble (BKS) shares any good.

Never mind that Barnes & Noble is working closely with Wal-Mart and that best-sellers account for only 3 to 5 percent of BKS' sales. Conventional wisdom says that BKS is the second coming of dinosaur Blockbuster Video (BBI).

]]> Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:21:36 -0500 Lonely Value The price war between Amazon (AMZN) and Wal-Mart (WMT) over best-selling books got a lot of press recently. It hasn't done Barnes & Noble (BKS) shares any good.

Never mind that Barnes & Noble is working closely with Wal-Mart and that best-sellers account for only 3 to 5 percent of BKS' sales. Conventional wisdom says that BKS is the second coming of dinosaur Blockbuster Video (BBI).


Complete Story »]]> BKS AMZN Lonely Value Amazon and Barnes & Noble: A Tale of Two Booksellers http://seekingalpha.com/article/172118-amazon-and-barnes-noble-a-tale-of-two-booksellers?source=feed 172118 A look at America’s largest book sellers will reveal some stark contrasts. On one hand, we have Barnes & Noble (BKS), the steady and familiar “brick and mortar” bookstore, and on the other there is Amazon (AMZN), the popular internet retailer. Looking at these two companies and their stock prices brings you back to the heady days of 1999, when companies were neatly divided into “old economy” and “new economy” companies and the latter were given absurd valuations in the stock market. Now, ten years later, Amazon’s stock price has reached new all-time highs and Barnes & Noble is trading near the low end of its range for 1999.

In reality, many things have changed in the last decade. Companies are no longer worth hundreds of millions — or even billions — of dollars by virtue of a dreamy business plan and references to the internet in their names. Amazon is one of a handful of companies that has lived up to its hype of the dot com boom. It has consistently grown revenues well in excess of 20% per year and has been profitable every year since 2003.

]]> Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:13:35 -0500 Arnbjorn Ingimundarson A look at America’s largest book sellers will reveal some stark contrasts. On one hand, we have Barnes & Noble (BKS), the steady and familiar “brick and mortar” bookstore, and on the other there is Amazon (AMZN), the popular internet retailer. Looking at these two companies and their stock prices brings you back to the heady days of 1999, when companies were neatly divided into “old economy” and “new economy” companies and the latter were given absurd valuations in the stock market. Now, ten years later, Amazon’s stock price has reached new all-time highs and Barnes & Noble is trading near the low end of its range for 1999.

In reality, many things have changed in the last decade. Companies are no longer worth hundreds of millions — or even billions — of dollars by virtue of a dreamy business plan and references to the internet in their names. Amazon is one of a handful of companies that has lived up to its hype of the dot com boom. It has consistently grown revenues well in excess of 20% per year and has been profitable every year since 2003.


Complete Story »]]> AMZN BKS Arnbjorn Ingimundarson Barnes & Noble Planning International Expansion http://seekingalpha.com/article/170407-barnes-noble-planning-international-expansion?source=feed 170407 Want to be the head of Barnesandnoble.com’s international business? Because they’re definitely hiring a whole team, and they’re starting at the top.

Recruiting firm Russell Reynolds Associates is representing Barnes & Noble (BKS) in a search for the “head of their international business,” according to a source who was contacted about the position. The job entails building the international business for BN.com from scratch, hiring the team and “building the infrastructure outside the U.S.” They prefer the executive live in New York, but Europe is ok, too. Global e-commerce experience is preferred.

]]> Sun, 01 Nov 2009 09:07:31 -0500 Michael Arrington Michael Arrington submits:

Want to be the head of Barnesandnoble.com’s international business? Because they’re definitely hiring a whole team, and they’re starting at the top.

Recruiting firm Russell Reynolds Associates is representing Barnes & Noble (BKS) in a search for the “head of their international business,” according to a source who was contacted about the position. The job entails building the international business for BN.com from scratch, hiring the team and “building the infrastructure outside the U.S.” They prefer the executive live in New York, but Europe is ok, too. Global e-commerce experience is preferred.


Complete Story »]]> BKS Michael Arrington The eBook Wars: What Publishers Should Do http://seekingalpha.com/article/168534-the-ebook-wars-what-publishers-should-do?source=feed 168534

Screen shot 2009-10-23 at 10.26.46 AMThe eBook business is hot. Barnes & Noble (BKS) just announced its $259 Kindle-killer, the GSM-connected Nook with a color touchscreen complimenting its eInk bland and white display, Amazon (AMZN) started shipping the international edition of Kindle, and Sony (SNE) has promised its Reader Daily Edition eBook reader for December. Analysts everywhere (Yankee Group included) are sharpening their pencils and cuing up forecasts of hundreds of thousands of eBook reader sales for this holiday season. And why not; eBook readers take books and make them easy to buy and consume in today’s Anywhere Economy.

At the same time this eBook reader war has been capturing media attention, a price war has been brewing over paper books. Walmart (WMT) has cut best-selling hardcover prices to $10 from their normal $24 price tags. Amazon (the same place that sells $9.99 eBooks and the $259 Kindle) has matched Walmart’s prices. Target (TGT), not to be outdone, has started pitching selected $9 hardcovers. Add to this the fact that most consumers cherish the flexibility of paper books — the ability to write in them, paste sticky notes in them, lend them to friends, and resell them when they are done with them — and the traditional book market is looking like it could make a comeback with consumers as well.

]]> Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:49:10 -0400 Carl Howe Carl Howe (Blackfriars Communications) submits:

Screen shot 2009-10-23 at 10.26.46 AMThe eBook business is hot. Barnes & Noble (BKS) just announced its $259 Kindle-killer, the GSM-connected Nook with a color touchscreen complimenting its eInk bland and white display, Amazon (AMZN) started shipping the international edition of Kindle, and Sony (SNE) has promised its Reader Daily Edition eBook reader for December. Analysts everywhere (Yankee Group included) are sharpening their pencils and cuing up forecasts of hundreds of thousands of eBook reader sales for this holiday season. And why not; eBook readers take books and make them easy to buy and consume in today’s Anywhere Economy.

At the same time this eBook reader war has been capturing media attention, a price war has been brewing over paper books. Walmart (WMT) has cut best-selling hardcover prices to $10 from their normal $24 price tags. Amazon (the same place that sells $9.99 eBooks and the $259 Kindle) has matched Walmart’s prices. Target (TGT), not to be outdone, has started pitching selected $9 hardcovers. Add to this the fact that most consumers cherish the flexibility of paper books — the ability to write in them, paste sticky notes in them, lend them to friends, and resell them when they are done with them — and the traditional book market is looking like it could make a comeback with consumers as well.


Complete Story »]]> BKS AMZN SNE WMT TGT JW.A MHP Carl Howe Amazon: Please Drop to $85 http://seekingalpha.com/article/168450-amazon-please-drop-to-85?source=feed 168450 I have been trying to buy Amazon (AMZN) for five years now, but because I only buy companies that have a price to free cash flow of 15 or less, I was hoping they were going to miss and allow me to finally get in, but alas they blew away the quarter and I am going to have to wait again. With their increase in TTM Free Cash Flow to $1.92 Billion, my buy price has now moved up to $63.85.

I am so impressed with their results that I will probably have to up my purchase rule and add some more risk by bumping my buy price to 20 times free cash flow and look for an entry point of $85 a share. My sell criteria is 30 times free cash flow or $127.50, so if I ever get lucky enough to get in at $85, I will have a long way to go before I will need to sell.

]]> Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:05:37 -0400 Peter Mycroft Psaras I have been trying to buy Amazon (AMZN) for five years now, but because I only buy companies that have a price to free cash flow of 15 or less, I was hoping they were going to miss and allow me to finally get in, but alas they blew away the quarter and I am going to have to wait again. With their increase in TTM Free Cash Flow to $1.92 Billion, my buy price has now moved up to $63.85.

I am so impressed with their results that I will probably have to up my purchase rule and add some more risk by bumping my buy price to 20 times free cash flow and look for an entry point of $85 a share. My sell criteria is 30 times free cash flow or $127.50, so if I ever get lucky enough to get in at $85, I will have a long way to go before I will need to sell.


Complete Story »]]> COH WMT AMZN BKS Peter Mycroft Psaras Barnes and Noble's Nook May Not Ring Death Knell for Amazon's Kindle http://seekingalpha.com/article/168109-barnes-and-noble-s-nook-may-not-ring-death-knell-for-amazon-s-kindle?source=feed 168109 http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2009/10/22/saupload_nook.jpgThis morning I awoke to the blogosphere overrun with chants of “Kindle Killer.” Have these people heard the phrase, “That’s why we play the hand”?

I agree Barnes & Noble’s (NYSE: BKS) new eBook the Nook is gorgeous (in pictures). I also agree it will find a market within B&N’s customer base. Back in our April Premium Newsletter I also warned Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) shareholders to closely watch for a real threat to the Kindle. However, here are a few key reasons not to prematurely release too much excitement:

]]> Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:57:35 -0400 wall street cheat sheet Wall Street Cheat Sheet submits:

http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2009/10/22/saupload_nook.jpgThis morning I awoke to the blogosphere overrun with chants of “Kindle Killer.” Have these people heard the phrase, “That’s why we play the hand”?

I agree Barnes & Noble’s (NYSE: BKS) new eBook the Nook is gorgeous (in pictures). I also agree it will find a market within B&N’s customer base. Back in our April Premium Newsletter I also warned Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) shareholders to closely watch for a real threat to the Kindle. However, here are a few key reasons not to prematurely release too much excitement:


Complete Story »]]> BKS AMZN wall street cheat sheet Barnes & Noble May Give Amazon a Run for Its e-Books http://seekingalpha.com/article/167234-barnes-noble-may-give-amazon-a-run-for-its-e-books?source=feed 167234 Barnes & Noble (BKS) shares are down about 15% since reporting earnings late August. The drop was due to a negative earnings outlook for fiscal 2010. Many times the market may overreact in cases like this or may not take into account other more positive factors regarding future prospects which would otherwise translate to a higher price paid for the common equity of the firm. This presents opportunity for the diligent value investor.

It can be interesting to look to the darlings of a sector for guidance as to which sectors have favorable prospects, but then to spend time thinking about and analyzing the laggards in the sector for actual buying opportunities. Being a contrarian leaves room to make money through capital appreciation whereas buying the all-stars may leave the investor vulnerable to overpayment. An investor who bought Wal-Mart (WMT) 10 years ago has actually lost money, even though the company itself has performed remarkably well. The growth prospects were all priced into the shares back then and the company would have had to exceed already optimistic earnings expectations for the performance to be translated into share price appreciation.
Amazon (AMZN), the apparent darling in the book merchant space, is trading on extremely high multiples (P/E of approx. 60 vs BKS’ of approx. 14) as a result of high hopes for growth in the electronic segment of the market, sales of physical books via the web store as well as electronic books via the Kindle e-reader. These expectations are obvious and are likely already priced into the company’s shares as a result. Of the 32 analysts who cover the company, 13 have a buy rating and only 2 recommend selling it. It’s hard to imagine much movement in share price if the company merely meets expectations, and not so hard to imagine what could happen if the company misses these expectations to the downside.
BKS, on the other hand, used to be the largest player in the book market but has since fallen out of favor with the market as its base of operations is largely the company’s 800 bricks and mortar stores. The share price is currently less than half of what it was in 2006, and as mentioned, has dropped significantly even within the past two weeks. It’s hard to see where the positive aspects of the company’s outlook are priced in, if they are. Another benefit for investors of the depressed share price is the current dividend yield of almost 5%. As brought to my attention via the Wall Street Journal, BKS will actually be partaking in the growth of the e-book market right alongside AMZN. BKS may even have an advantage thanks to its bricks and mortar locations as many shoppers have never even seen an e-reader, and a physical location gives BKS the opportunity of putting these devices directly in the hands of the consumer. Even more interesting is that while AMZN’s e-reader operates on a closed format (only the Kindle can read titles purchased from AMZN), the books sold by BKS operate on a shared platform known as ePub which will allow the purchases to be read on any device including laptops. BKS has already begun taking steps to compete with AMZN as it has acquired an independent e-book seller and will also be launching its own e-book store shortly.
Based on the fundamentals discussed here, BKS seems to be a compelling value play. As always though it is important to arrive at an estimate of intrinsic value so that a purchase decision is based on hard evidence of a discount as well as the incorporation of a margin of safety. I’ll be valuing BKS in the next couple of days as well as taking a closer look into the financial statements and management’s discussion and analysis. I will be sure to share my findings here with the community.

Disclosure: None
]]> Mon, 19 Oct 2009 06:25:00 -0400 Jonathan Goldberg Jonathan Goldberg submits:

Barnes & Noble (BKS) shares are down about 15% since reporting earnings late August. The drop was due to a negative earnings outlook for fiscal 2010. Many times the market may overreact in cases like this or may not take into account other more positive factors regarding future prospects which would otherwise translate to a higher price paid for the common equity of the firm. This presents opportunity for the diligent value investor.

It can be interesting to look to the darlings of a sector for guidance as to which sectors have favorable prospects, but then to spend time thinking about and analyzing the laggards in the sector for actual buying opportunities. Being a contrarian leaves room to make money through capital appreciation whereas buying the all-stars may leave the investor vulnerable to overpayment. An investor who bought Wal-Mart (WMT) 10 years ago has actually lost money, even though the company itself has performed remarkably well. The growth prospects were all priced into the shares back then and the company would have had to exceed already optimistic earnings expectations for the performance to be translated into share price appreciation.
Amazon (AMZN), the apparent darling in the book merchant space, is trading on extremely high multiples (P/E of approx. 60 vs BKS’ of approx. 14) as a result of high hopes for growth in the electronic segment of the market, sales of physical books via the web store as well as electronic books via the Kindle e-reader. These expectations are obvious and are likely already priced into the company’s shares as a result. Of the 32 analysts who cover the company, 13 have a buy rating and only 2 recommend selling it. It’s hard to imagine much movement in share price if the company merely meets expectations, and not so hard to imagine what could happen if the company misses these expectations to the downside.
BKS, on the other hand, used to be the largest player in the book market but has since fallen out of favor with the market as its base of operations is largely the company’s 800 bricks and mortar stores. The share price is currently less than half of what it was in 2006, and as mentioned, has dropped significantly even within the past two weeks. It’s hard to see where the positive aspects of the company’s outlook are priced in, if they are. Another benefit for investors of the depressed share price is the current dividend yield of almost 5%. As brought to my attention via the Wall Street Journal, BKS will actually be partaking in the growth of the e-book market right alongside AMZN. BKS may even have an advantage thanks to its bricks and mortar locations as many shoppers have never even seen an e-reader, and a physical location gives BKS the opportunity of putting these devices directly in the hands of the consumer. Even more interesting is that while AMZN’s e-reader operates on a closed format (only the Kindle can read titles purchased from AMZN), the books sold by BKS operate on a shared platform known as ePub which will allow the purchases to be read on any device including laptops. BKS has already begun taking steps to compete with AMZN as it has acquired an independent e-book seller and will also be launching its own e-book store shortly.
Based on the fundamentals discussed here, BKS seems to be a compelling value play. As always though it is important to arrive at an estimate of intrinsic value so that a purchase decision is based on hard evidence of a discount as well as the incorporation of a margin of safety. I’ll be valuing BKS in the next couple of days as well as taking a closer look into the financial statements and management’s discussion and analysis. I will be sure to share my findings here with the community.

Disclosure: None

Complete Story »]]> BKS AMZN Jonathan Goldberg Wal-Mart and Amazon: Price Wars Reopen Question of Intermediaries http://seekingalpha.com/article/167123-wal-mart-and-amazon-price-wars-reopen-question-of-intermediaries?source=feed 167123 A front page story in the WSJ Friday talked about Wal-Mart’s (WMT) price war for online books, with $10 bestsellers. The money quote is pretty good:

"If there is going to be a 'Wal-Mart of the Web,' it is going to be Walmart.com," said Walmart.com CEO Raul Vazquez in an interview. "Our goal is to be the biggest and most visited retail Web site."

]]> Sun, 18 Oct 2009 07:33:23 -0400 Joel West Joel West submits:

A front page story in the WSJ Friday talked about Wal-Mart’s (WMT) price war for online books, with $10 bestsellers. The money quote is pretty good:

"If there is going to be a 'Wal-Mart of the Web,' it is going to be Walmart.com," said Walmart.com CEO Raul Vazquez in an interview. "Our goal is to be the biggest and most visited retail Web site."


Complete Story »]]> WMT AMZN BKS Joel West Barnes and Noble: E-reader Coming Soon? http://seekingalpha.com/article/166297-barnes-and-noble-e-reader-coming-soon?source=feed 166297 Barnes and Noble (BKS) is set to make history at a “major event” in New York City next week. And even though the invitation doesn’t offer any hints of what’s coming, many expect that it will be a book reader of its own, according to a post on CNET.

]]> Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:56:06 -0400 Sam Diaz Sam Diaz submits:

Barnes and Noble (BKS) is set to make history at a “major event” in New York City next week. And even though the invitation doesn’t offer any hints of what’s coming, many expect that it will be a book reader of its own, according to a post on CNET.


Complete Story »]]> BKS Sam Diaz Can Amazon Kindle Long Term Returns? http://seekingalpha.com/article/165655-can-amazon-kindle-long-term-returns?source=feed 165655 Shares in US-based online retailer Amazon.com (AMZN) have recovered much of the ground lost during the bear market due to continued revenue growth and increasing free cash flow. The company revealed in its second quarter results announcement that net sales were up 14%.

Much of the hype surrounding Amazon's business relates to its Kindle e-book reader, which features a paper-like dynamic display. Despite the success of the Kindle over the past two years, the product's competitors such as the Sony (SNE) Reader hare yet to gain significant footing. Amazon is resolved to defend its market share, announcing on October 7th that they intend to drop the price of the Kindle from USD 299 to USD 259, while at the same time introducing the product overseas, in over 100 markets. The new US & International Wireless version of the Kindle is expected to be released on October 19th.

]]> Fri, 09 Oct 2009 04:06:14 -0400 Andrew Kerr Shares in US-based online retailer Amazon.com (AMZN) have recovered much of the ground lost during the bear market due to continued revenue growth and increasing free cash flow. The company revealed in its second quarter results announcement that net sales were up 14%.

Much of the hype surrounding Amazon's business relates to its Kindle e-book reader, which features a paper-like dynamic display. Despite the success of the Kindle over the past two years, the product's competitors such as the Sony (SNE) Reader hare yet to gain significant footing. Amazon is resolved to defend its market share, announcing on October 7th that they intend to drop the price of the Kindle from USD 299 to USD 259, while at the same time introducing the product overseas, in over 100 markets. The new US & International Wireless version of the Kindle is expected to be released on October 19th.


Complete Story »]]> AMZN BKS Andrew Kerr The World of Book Publishing Is About to Change http://seekingalpha.com/article/164700-the-world-of-book-publishing-is-about-to-change?source=feed 164700 This week brought news of a major innovation in the book-publishing world. And Amazon (AMZN) had nothing to do with it.

Harvard Book Store in Cambridge, Massachusetts, unveiled the new $100,000 Espresso Book Machine, a publishing device that can print a paperback book at the push of a button.

]]> Sun, 04 Oct 2009 06:57:43 -0400 Elyse Andrews Elyse Andrews submits:

This week brought news of a major innovation in the book-publishing world. And Amazon (AMZN) had nothing to do with it.

Harvard Book Store in Cambridge, Massachusetts, unveiled the new $100,000 Espresso Book Machine, a publishing device that can print a paperback book at the push of a button.


Complete Story »]]> BKS BGP CRRC MHP PEDH PSO RDA SCHL TRI AMZN Elyse Andrews Can Barnes & Noble Challenge Kindle’s E-Book Dominance? http://seekingalpha.com/article/163945-can-barnes-noble-challenge-kindles-e-book-dominance?source=feed 163945 In July, BarnesandNoble.com (BKS) launched the e-books section of their online bookstore with the intention of capitalizing on the growing market. Consumers have increasingly been turning to e-books that equip a reader with added conveniences and often a chic electronic device. Although Barnes & Noble lacks, at least for the time being, an e-reader similar to Sony’s e-reader or Kindle, Amazon.com’s industry leading e-reader, digital bookworms welcomed the new e-bookstore with open arms.

The e-books section of BarnesandNoble.com was visited by more than four times as many people as Amazon.com’s (AMZN) Kindle Store (and over 75x Sony’s eBookstore) in its first week. However, their successful launch cooled rather quickly after a few weeks.

]]> Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:46:54 -0400 Compete Compete submits:

In July, BarnesandNoble.com (BKS) launched the e-books section of their online bookstore with the intention of capitalizing on the growing market. Consumers have increasingly been turning to e-books that equip a reader with added conveniences and often a chic electronic device. Although Barnes & Noble lacks, at least for the time being, an e-reader similar to Sony’s e-reader or Kindle, Amazon.com’s industry leading e-reader, digital bookworms welcomed the new e-bookstore with open arms.

The e-books section of BarnesandNoble.com was visited by more than four times as many people as Amazon.com’s (AMZN) Kindle Store (and over 75x Sony’s eBookstore) in its first week. However, their successful launch cooled rather quickly after a few weeks.


Complete Story »]]> BKS AMZN SNE Compete Report from Europe: Setting Up a Down Day for the Dow? http://seekingalpha.com/article/162564-report-from-europe-setting-up-a-down-day-for-the-dow?source=feed 162564

The Dow Jones’s seemingly inexorable march back to 10,000 may be interrupted today as European bourses have started softer on worries that perhaps the six month long bull run has gotten a little ahead of itself and outpaced earnings prospects and potential economic growth.

In premarket US trade, Perot Systems (PER) soared nearly 70% after agreeing to be bought by Dell (DELL) in a $3.9bn deal. Indeed Bloomberg has an interesting story on the potential for a big upsurge of M&A activity. Other US stocks likely to be in focus today include homebuilder Lennar (LEN) who provided a fresh glimpse of the housing market. It reported widening losses, but said it expects a return to profit in fiscal 2010. Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) could be pressured after it announced plans for a rights issue to lift capital while bookseller Barnes & Noble (BKS) should be perky after upping guidance.

]]> Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:36:04 -0400 The Mole The Mole submits:

The Dow Jones’s seemingly inexorable march back to 10,000 may be interrupted today as European bourses have started softer on worries that perhaps the six month long bull run has gotten a little ahead of itself and outpaced earnings prospects and potential economic growth.

In premarket US trade, Perot Systems (PER) soared nearly 70% after agreeing to be bought by Dell (DELL) in a $3.9bn deal. Indeed Bloomberg has an interesting story on the potential for a big upsurge of M&A activity. Other US stocks likely to be in focus today include homebuilder Lennar (LEN) who provided a fresh glimpse of the housing market. It reported widening losses, but said it expects a return to profit in fiscal 2010. Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) could be pressured after it announced plans for a rights issue to lift capital while bookseller Barnes & Noble (BKS) should be perky after upping guidance.


Complete Story »]]> DIA BKS PER DELL LEN FITB DRAGF.PK XSRAY.PK FCX PFE BYERF.PK POT TUWLY.PK MT AAUKY.PK The Mole Barnes & Noble's High Short Interest http://seekingalpha.com/article/160699-barnes-noble-s-high-short-interest?source=feed 160699 The short interest (as measured by Percent Shares Outstanding On Loan) for Barnes & Noble Inc (BKS) has risen 10.04% over the past week and now stands at 20.14%. This is down 6.81% from the 52 week high hit on March 23, 2009. When compared to other North America Specialty Retail companies, the short base is well above the average of 8.38% for the sector.

Over the past week the Negative Sentiment Indicator (DNS) for BKS was unchanged. It remains in the tenth decile, indicating a high amount of negative short sale sentiment for the security. The Price Squeeze Indicator (DIPS) remained unchanged and continues to be in the first decile which indicates a low probability of a price squeeze.

]]> Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:49:01 -0400 Data Explorers Jessica Johnson submits:

The short interest (as measured by Percent Shares Outstanding On Loan) for Barnes & Noble Inc (BKS) has risen 10.04% over the past week and now stands at 20.14%. This is down 6.81% from the 52 week high hit on March 23, 2009. When compared to other North America Specialty Retail companies, the short base is well above the average of 8.38% for the sector.

Over the past week the Negative Sentiment Indicator (DNS) for BKS was unchanged. It remains in the tenth decile, indicating a high amount of negative short sale sentiment for the security. The Price Squeeze Indicator (DIPS) remained unchanged and continues to be in the first decile which indicates a low probability of a price squeeze.


Complete Story »]]> BKS Data Explorers Barnes & Noble Finds New Revenue Streams http://seekingalpha.com/article/157528-barnes-noble-finds-new-revenue-streams?source=feed 157528

With the financial performance of major booksellers suggesting significant declines in the reading rates of U.S. adults, book retailer Barnes & Noble (BKS) has recently invested in new sales avenues such as e-books and college textbooks. Now Barnes & Noble is turning to out-of-print titles as a means of creating a new revenue stream, according to RetailerDaily.com.

]]> Fri, 21 Aug 2009 08:11:49 -0400 Marketing Charts Marketing Charts submits:

With the financial performance of major booksellers suggesting significant declines in the reading rates of U.S. adults, book retailer Barnes & Noble (BKS) has recently invested in new sales avenues such as e-books and college textbooks. Now Barnes & Noble is turning to out-of-print titles as a means of creating a new revenue stream, according to RetailerDaily.com.


Complete Story »]]> BKS GOOG AMZN Marketing Charts Barnes & Noble F2Q09 (Qtr End 8/1/09) Earnings Call Transcript http://seekingalpha.com/article/157322-barnes-amp-noble-f2q09-qtr-end-8-1-09-earnings-call-transcript?source=feed 157322 Barnes & Noble, Inc. (BKS)

F2Q09 Earnings Call

August 20, 2009 10:00 am ET

]]> Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:20:56 -0400 Barnes & Noble, Inc. (BKS)

F2Q09 Earnings Call

August 20, 2009 10:00 am ET


Complete Story »]]> BKS Global Short Interest Update http://seekingalpha.com/article/157292-global-short-interest-update?source=feed 157292 The DESLI Global 50 which tracks the change in short interest for the 50 largest global companies jumped 1.7% yesterday. In Europe, we expect earnings results from Swatch (SWGNF.PK), Kuoni, Rio Tinto (RTP) and Ahold (AHO). The short base for Rio Tinto is very low.

The U.S. will report the latest jobless data, and will also be holding a number of regular Treasury Auctions. This week the U.S. regulator, the SEC, announced that it was reopening the consultation period on the uptick rule proposals.

]]> Thu, 20 Aug 2009 09:16:31 -0400 Data Explorers Jessica Johnson submits:

The DESLI Global 50 which tracks the change in short interest for the 50 largest global companies jumped 1.7% yesterday. In Europe, we expect earnings results from Swatch (SWGNF.PK), Kuoni, Rio Tinto (RTP) and Ahold (AHO). The short base for Rio Tinto is very low.

The U.S. will report the latest jobless data, and will also be holding a number of regular Treasury Auctions. This week the U.S. regulator, the SEC, announced that it was reopening the consultation period on the uptick rule proposals.


Complete Story »]]> RTP AHO SWGNF.PK SHLD BKS PVH PETM BKE Data Explorers 18 'Bathwater Babies' and 9 'Dogs with Fleas' for the Week http://seekingalpha.com/article/156425-18-bathwater-babies-and-9-dogs-with-fleas-for-the-week?source=feed 156425 At the end of each trading week, Hillbent scans for the equity market for potential anomalies which exhibit extremely oversold and overbought conditions. Past observations have revealed that such candidates may experience reversal corrections to the upside or downside once the market reconfirms that their fundamentals remain solidly intact or relatively poor. From a contrarian perspective, these lists may also serve as a precursor to changes in institutional sentiment and underlying fundamentals.

(The purpose of this report is not to provide specific recommendations, but instead serve as a time-saving reference tool and starting point for investment ideas as the upcoming trading week unfolds. Of course, the results generated are not always perfect and users are strongly encouraged to perform their own due diligence on these names. Note that overbought and oversold conditions are based upon proprietary algorithms and quantitative models instead of conventional technical analysis indicators. As a supplement to this report, please refer to our ETF Trends Report to determine if market direction trends support a bullish or bearish investment bias over short-term, intermediate, and long-term timeframes.)

]]> Mon, 17 Aug 2009 03:07:48 -0400 J Clinton Hill J Clinton Hill submits:

At the end of each trading week, Hillbent scans for the equity market for potential anomalies which exhibit extremely oversold and overbought conditions. Past observations have revealed that such candidates may experience reversal corrections to the upside or downside once the market reconfirms that their fundamentals remain solidly intact or relatively poor. From a contrarian perspective, these lists may also serve as a precursor to changes in institutional sentiment and underlying fundamentals.

(The purpose of this report is not to provide specific recommendations, but instead serve as a time-saving reference tool and starting point for investment ideas as the upcoming trading week unfolds. Of course, the results generated are not always perfect and users are strongly encouraged to perform their own due diligence on these names. Note that overbought and oversold conditions are based upon proprietary algorithms and quantitative models instead of conventional technical analysis indicators. As a supplement to this report, please refer to our ETF Trends Report to determine if market direction trends support a bullish or bearish investment bias over short-term, intermediate, and long-term timeframes.)


Complete Story »]]> CCC CGA JAKK LNC NICE PVR ROC TRA UFCS ALV BKS CHIC CTR DPZ EP FFIC JCP KB PLX PNNT REV RINO SPH TRW ULTA VNR ZAGG J Clinton Hill