jim s.'s Comments RSS Syndication from SeekingAlpha.com http://seekingalpha.comuser/128081/comments http://seekingalpha.com/article/70771-internet-hoax-gooses-stock-market?source=feed#comment-134725 134725
Houses will get more affordable in the coming years and stocks will seem less affordable when the earnings start to tank, as surely they will.
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Houses will get more affordable in the coming years and stocks will seem less affordable when the earnings start to tank, as surely they will.
]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/62607-pulte-homes-up-11-in-spite-of-bad-earnings?source=feed#comment-114014 114014 ]]> Fri, 01 Feb 2008 08:51:29 -0500 ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/60587-the-upside-of-low-housing-starts?source=feed#comment-111321 111321
While one can look at the starts and permits numbers and say they're an indicator the builders are doing the rational thing, had the numbers shot up instead I think homebuilder stocks would have shot up too.]]> Fri, 18 Jan 2008 08:44:16 -0500
While one can look at the starts and permits numbers and say they're an indicator the builders are doing the rational thing, had the numbers shot up instead I think homebuilder stocks would have shot up too.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/59663-sears-holding-s-lampert-continues-great-brand-lineup?source=feed#comment-110197 110197
Thanks for pointing out that SHLD doesn't release monthly numbers. But the effect is certainly that they don't show up in the business press.

And given today's announcement, and previous earnings releases, I can see why they play it close to the chest; no need for a steady stream of bad news.

As to the claim of a rock solid balance sheet, I see that their net tangible assets have gone from $7.8B to $5.7B over the past three quarters, while their cash has gone from $3.4B to $1.4B in the same time period. Could it be that SHLD is signing its own death warrant by repurchasing shares at elevated prices?

Then there's the issue of the underlying business. It keeps going down, down, down. There's nothing in the Craftsman line that competes on quality with the name brands at HD and Lowes, except hand tools. Appliances? Whatever. Lands End? A fine name, to be sure, but on our mall L.L. Bean has just opened up a store and it's a doosey. There's just no comparison between Lands End section in Sears to the L.L Bean store, which is like an outdoor experience right there on the mall. While this certainly can't be happening at many Sears stores, it's sure a stick in their eye here in Albany, NY. Though L.L. Bean may regret their expansion soon enough too.
]]> Mon, 14 Jan 2008 11:29:17 -0500
Thanks for pointing out that SHLD doesn't release monthly numbers. But the effect is certainly that they don't show up in the business press.

And given today's announcement, and previous earnings releases, I can see why they play it close to the chest; no need for a steady stream of bad news.

As to the claim of a rock solid balance sheet, I see that their net tangible assets have gone from $7.8B to $5.7B over the past three quarters, while their cash has gone from $3.4B to $1.4B in the same time period. Could it be that SHLD is signing its own death warrant by repurchasing shares at elevated prices?

Then there's the issue of the underlying business. It keeps going down, down, down. There's nothing in the Craftsman line that competes on quality with the name brands at HD and Lowes, except hand tools. Appliances? Whatever. Lands End? A fine name, to be sure, but on our mall L.L. Bean has just opened up a store and it's a doosey. There's just no comparison between Lands End section in Sears to the L.L Bean store, which is like an outdoor experience right there on the mall. While this certainly can't be happening at many Sears stores, it's sure a stick in their eye here in Albany, NY. Though L.L. Bean may regret their expansion soon enough too.
]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/59663-sears-holding-s-lampert-continues-great-brand-lineup?source=feed#comment-109631 109631
From my own perspective, Sears' assets are its tools (hand tools, not power tools which are by and large not premium quality), power equipment and appliances. In all those categories they have stiff competition from HD and Lowes, not to mention the smaller players like True Value. On the rest of their inventory, the big boxers are in a full court press.

Frankly, I don't see how they can keep it up.]]> Fri, 11 Jan 2008 10:07:47 -0500
From my own perspective, Sears' assets are its tools (hand tools, not power tools which are by and large not premium quality), power equipment and appliances. In all those categories they have stiff competition from HD and Lowes, not to mention the smaller players like True Value. On the rest of their inventory, the big boxers are in a full court press.

Frankly, I don't see how they can keep it up.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/59663-sears-holding-s-lampert-continues-great-brand-lineup?source=feed#comment-109512 109512
I stop in regularly to area Kmarts and the one Sears and am rarely impressed. The former have the stench of death about them and the latter is almost as depressing. This stock, though well off its highs, is probably going to suffer disproportionately if the US consumer pulls back. Then it's up to Lampert to play the derivatives market in order to make up the slack.

Bringing in Snapper to compete side-by-side with their Craftsman lawn machines doesn't strike me as something that's going to pull SHLD up by the bootstraps.]]> Thu, 10 Jan 2008 16:58:20 -0500
I stop in regularly to area Kmarts and the one Sears and am rarely impressed. The former have the stench of death about them and the latter is almost as depressing. This stock, though well off its highs, is probably going to suffer disproportionately if the US consumer pulls back. Then it's up to Lampert to play the derivatives market in order to make up the slack.

Bringing in Snapper to compete side-by-side with their Craftsman lawn machines doesn't strike me as something that's going to pull SHLD up by the bootstraps.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/56460-rate-freezes-won-t-solve-foreclosure-problem?source=feed#comment-104295 104295
But doesn't the curtailment of income fly in the face of these great employment numbers we keep getting? I mean, foreclosures are way up in the past few quarters but the economy just keeps adding jobs. The only way I see this making sense is if people are losing good paying jobs and finding lower paying jobs to replace them. Then they fall behind on the mortgage.

I think many more foreclosures are due to resets today than that table shows. Not that people should be bailed out, mind you. That's just obscene.
]]> Thu, 06 Dec 2007 08:50:52 -0500
But doesn't the curtailment of income fly in the face of these great employment numbers we keep getting? I mean, foreclosures are way up in the past few quarters but the economy just keeps adding jobs. The only way I see this making sense is if people are losing good paying jobs and finding lower paying jobs to replace them. Then they fall behind on the mortgage.

I think many more foreclosures are due to resets today than that table shows. Not that people should be bailed out, mind you. That's just obscene.
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