107Sid

Cramer's Stop Trading! Cramer Calls a Bottom (3/26/09)

If you guys feel so negative about Cramer's calls, why do you keep reading and commenting on them??

Glints of Hope Despite Economic Tailspin

Watch out for bearish comments from mgts when Q1 earnings reports start to flow in a few weeks, contributing to a new down leg in the market. Survey expectations appear to be flaging it in advance.

The Children's Place Delivers Good News in a Troubled Market

While PLCE's clothes do not hold up well, that's okay because kids grow rapidly and their clothing has to be replaced fairly frequently. The offset to the lousy quality is their low prices which provide consumers with the sort of value they are seeking in this economy. Only real negative ofz this approach is that while the price/value relationship of their offering is somewhat compelling, iot is diluted somewhat by the lessor ability to hand down outgrown clothing to younger siblings because of the lack of durability.

Limited's Q4 Earnings Disappoint: Little Downside Risk Remains

The Victoria's Secret concept is "tired" and has become almost a parody of itself. Bath & Body, while generating great returns on investment is not well poisitoned to prosper in a recessionary environment. It is does not provide the consumer with compelling value.

Cheesecake Factory: Why Piper Jaffray's Downgrade Was Baseless

The Wachovia Friday evening data has not been a reliable investment tool in the past. It looks like it's simply an anlyst's gimmick.

Why I'm Bullish on Darden

DRI has other chains than Olive Garden and Red Lobster and their results are inhibiting growh. Darden should be able to take a lot of costs out of them, but that has perhaps already been reflected in the stock's move from the high teens just a few months ago. DRI is a solid longer term total return stock, but should rest and be a relatively dull stock over the next quarter or two.

Cramer's Stop Trading! Thain is a Pain (2/9/09)

Prior comment spelling error......should have been sleeze?

Cramer's Stop Trading! Thain is a Pain (2/9/09)

Thain maybe the number one sleese to come out of Wall Street's top executive suites this century to date.

Linens 'n Things: Gone, But Not Forgotten

The price Apollo paid made no sense at the time of acquisition. The actual and projected cash flow was inadequate to fund the transaction, unless one was so out of touch as to assume that we were about to enter a record retail/housing market.

The transaction appears to have have been based on "master of the universe" hubris rather than rational, sound judgement as one or two analysts noted at the time the transaction was rumored (and then pending).

RE: Apollo, the bigger they come, the harder they fall.

Restaurant Spending, Then and Now

During the 70's, 80's and 90's the increased percentage of meals prepared away from home grew as females gained more employment opportunities and the two wage-earner family became more of a norm. THe big increase in the percentage of women who were working away from the home increased overall demand for lunches perpared awar from home. Moroever, with both spouses working, resulting in more income and less time at home, a greater percentage of dinners were being prepared away from home. During the 70's and 80's the baby boomers entered adulthood and their greater numbers as a percent of the overall population levered the impact of a greater percentage of females of this generation entering the labor force.

Not only did the percentage of adult women in the labor place already peak, but with the aging of the population a greater percentage of the population is retiring and thus spending more time at home (an consumer more meals prepared at home). The increase in unemployment (and under-employment) along with brown-bagging it due to the poor economy are also contributing to a decrease in the percentage of meals prepared away from home.

Questioning the Relevance of Abercrombie

Insight is right on. Having worked as a Wall Street retail analyst for 50 years before retiring I've seen this movie before. All hot brands eventually become tired (although years later they may possibly be rejuvinated) with a prolonged weak consumer backdrop frequently the catalyst. What was once "in" in terms of higher price point brands, becomes "out" during extended periods of economic distress.

Macy's' Problems Have Just Begun

Macy's needs a change at the top. CEO seems to have been perpetually out of touch with the current consumer environment.

Walgreen: Can Scaling Back Boost Profits?

Doesn't the long-standing demographic argument about the impact of the aging boomers still provide a favorable underlying backdrop even though the enterprise is now fairly mature?

Bernie Madoff Comes Out of the Closet

While there were several SEC CHairmen over the past 25 years, the bigger the fund became and the longer it extended its streak of incredibly consistent returns the more it should have attracted the attention of the SEC. Having extended its success streak to 25 years and purported assets having reached $50 billion, it certainly should have attracted the attention of the current empty suit SEC Chairman, who may even be acquainted with some of the investors in the fund-- as they traveled in similar circles.

This guy shoiuld resign today before his failure to do his job causes more investor losses. Paul Voclker has been mentioned as a possible candidate for several high level positions. How about Vo;lcker for SEC CHairman, it would certainly help to restore the agency's serverely damaged reputation.

Ousting Sirius CEO Karmazin Is a Crazy Idea

Mel has always been simply a self-serving tout.