Sunday, September 21, 2014

Top 10 Retail Stocks To Buy For 2015

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- We're getting close to a good, old-fashioned 10% stock market correction. When a company like J.C. Penney (JCP) is the most actively traded stock on the New York Stock Exchange, you have to wonder if things will get worse before they get better.

Although I'm not a pessimist, the current state of most of the large global stock markets is looking partly cloudy with a 50% chance of correcting further. It's getting so bleak that Jim Cramer wrote an article titled The Uncertainty That Ails This Market.

He mentions, in part, retail sales, asking, "Who can trust these numbers? Who went out in this weather? At the same time, though, how do we know that people aren't permanently changing their habits right now in response to better ways to shop?"

Top 10 Retail Stocks To Buy For 2015: Vipshop Holdings Ltd (VIPS)

Vipshop Holdings Limited (Vipshop Holdings), incorporated on August 27, 2010, is a holding company. Vipshop Holdings conducts its business through its subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entity in the People's Republic of China. The Company is engaged in the online discount retailer for various brands. It offers branded products to consumers in China through flash sales on its vipshop.com Website. As of February 17, 2012, it had the rights to sell selective products from over 360 brands. As of December 31, 2011, it had offered diversified product offerings from over 1,900 popular domestic and international brands on its Website, including Aimer, A-life, Bossini, Disney, FOX, Harry Potter, Kappa, KUHLE, Lily, Limi, Mentholatum, Metersbonwe, MEXICAN, Ochirly and Pepsi. As of December 31, 2011, it owned seven registered trademarks, copyrights to six software programs developed by the Company, and four registered domain names, such as vipshop.com, vipshop.com.cn, vipshop.cn and vipshop.net.

In February 2014, the Company announced that it has acquired a 75 % interest in Lefeng.com Limited from Ovation Entertainment Limited.

The Company�� business model provides an online shopping for its customers. It offers new sales events with a selection of popular branded products at discounted prices in limited quantities during limited time periods. As of February 17, 2012, its total number of customers were 0.9 million, representing 60.6% of the total number of its customers. The Company offers a curated selection of apparel, fashion goods, cosmetics, home goods and lifestyle products from popular domestic and international brands. Its Product Category include womenswear, menswear, footwear, accessories, handbags, children, sportswear and sporting goods, cosmetics, home goods and other, lifestyle products, luxury goods and gifts and miscellaneous.

The Company competes with B2C e-commerce, Taobao Mall, 360Buy and Dangdang.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Victor Selva]

    The firm is currently Zacks Rank # 3��old, and it also has a longer-term recommendation of ��eutral�� A Hold rating indicates that the stock, over the next 1 to 3 months, will perform at an annualized rate of 10.56%, very similar to the S&P 500. For investors looking for a better Zacks Rank, Bitauto Holdings Limited (BITA), E-Commerce China Dangdang Inc. (DANG) and Vipshop Holdings Limited (VIPS) could be better options.

  • [By Holly LaFon]

    For the 12-month period ending June 30, 2014 the Russell 3000庐 Index rose 25.22%. The Davis Opportunity Fund significantly outperformed the Index over this shorter time period as well.1 On a sector basis, consumer discretionary and information technology were the leading contributors to performance. Individual contributors for this period included Google�(GOOG), (GOOGL), (a global leader in online search), Wells Fargo (WFC), (a U.S.-based financial services firm), Schlumberger (SLB), (a leading global energy services company), UnitedHealth Group (UNH), (the largest health care insurance business in the United States), Vipshop Holdings (VIPS), (a Chinese online retailer), and Textron (TXT), (a U.S.-based industrial conglomerate).2 Detractors included Experian PLC (EXPN), (a leading global consumer credit bureau), Angie�� List (a U.S.-based online small business ratings service), and Amazon.com (AMZN), (a U.S.-based global e-commerce business).

  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Equities Trading UP
    Vipshop Holdings (NYSE: VIPS) shot up 31.11 percent to $167.51 after the company reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results and issued a strong revenue forecast for the first quarter.

  • [By Jayson Derrick]

    Analysts at Jefferies maintained a Buy rating on Vipshop Holdings (NYSE: VIPS) with a price target raised to $280 from a previous $240. Also, analysts at Macquarie maintained an Outperform rating on Vipshop with a price target raised to $270 from a previous $200. Shares gained 0.55 percent, closing at $218.49.

Top 10 Retail Stocks To Buy For 2015: Penske Automotive Group Inc.(PAG)

Penske Automotive Group, Inc. operates as an automotive retailer. It sells new and used vehicles of approximately 40 vehicle brands; offers vehicle maintenance and repair services; and engages in the sale and placement of third-party finance and insurance products, third-party extended service contracts, and replacement and aftermarket automotive products. As of December 31, 2011, the company operated 320 retail automotive franchises, of which 166 franchises were located in the United States and 154 franchises are located outside of the United States primarily in the United Kingdom. It also has operations in Puerto Rico and Germany. Penske Automotive Group, Inc. was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Duprey]

    New- and user-car dealer�Penske Auto Group (NYSE: PAG  ) announced today its second-quarter dividend of $0.16 per share, a 7% increase over the payout it made to investors last quarter of $0.15 per share.

  • [By Marc Bastow]

    Automotive retail and transportation services giant Penske (PAG) raised its quarterly dividend 6.3% to 17 cents per share, payable on Dec. 2 to shareholders of record as of Nov. 11.
    PAG Dividend Yield:�1.72%

  • [By Lawrence Meyers]

    However, the company just reported that retail sales were flat with last year. AN stock is sitting in a better position than KMX, with 18.65% long term growth. On FY14 EPS of $3.38, it suggests fair value is upwards of $60, and currently trades at $49. The company isn’t heavily leveraged, and it has positive FCF. So far, AN stock is looking like the best buy among these used car stocks.

    Penske Automotive Group (PAG)

    Penske Automotive Group (PAG) could almost be an identical twin to AutoNation as far as what it provides, outside of the luxury market.

  • [By Marc Bastow]

    Automotive retailer Penske Automotive (PAG) raised its quarterly dividend 5.9% to 18 cents per share, payable on Mar. 3 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 10.
    PAG Dividend Yield: 1.69%

Best Supermarket Stocks To Buy Right Now: Zumiez Inc (ZUMZ)

Zumiez Inc. (Zumiez) is a specialty retailer of action sports related apparel, footwear, equipment and accessories operating under the Zumiez brand name. As of January 28, 2012, the Company operated 434 stores in the United States and 10 stores in Canada. In addition, the Company operates a Website that sells merchandise online. At January 28, 2012, its stores averaged approximately 2,900 square feet. Its apparel offerings include tops, bottoms, outerwear and accessories, such as caps, bags and backpacks, belts, jewelry and sunglasses. Zumiez�� footwear offerings primarily consist of action sports related athletic shoes and sandals. Its equipment offerings, or hardgoods, include skateboards, snowboards and ancillary gear, such as boots and bindings. The Company also offers a selection of other items, such as miscellaneous novelties.

The Company supplements its merchandise assortment with a select offering of private label products across many of its apparel product categories. During the fiscal year ended January 28, 2012 (fiscal 2011), its private label merchandise represented 17.7% of the Company�� net sales. The Company sources its private label merchandise from foreign manufacturers worldwide.

The Company competes with Abercrombie & Fitch, Aeropostale, American Apparel, American Eagle Outfitters, Billabong, CCS, Forever 21, Hollister, Hot Topic, Old Navy, Pacific Sunwear of California, The Buckle, Wet Seal, Tilly��, Urban Outfitters, Big 5 Sporting Goods, Dick�� Sporting Goods, Sport Chalet and The Sports Authority.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Importantly, a potentially strong Easter selling season (per our own store checks and lateral reads from the Gap (GPS), Zumiez (ZUMZ), and L Brands (LB)) and momentum into Mother’s Day could give the bulls something to hang their hats on.

  • [By Monica Gerson]

    Zumiez (NASDAQ: ZUMZ) is projected to post its Q2 earnings at $0.23 per share on revenue of $176.89 million.

    Methode Electronics (NYSE: MEI) is estimated to report its Q1 earnings at $0.40 per share on revenue of $193.69 million.

Top 10 Retail Stocks To Buy For 2015: Kate Spade & Co (KATE)

Kate Spade & Co, formerly Fifth & Pacific Companies Inc, incorporated in January 1976, designs and markets a portfolio of retail-based, premium brands, including JUICY COUTURE, KATE SPADE and LUCKY BRAND. The Company also has a private brand jewelry design and development division, which markets brands through department stores and serves J.C. Penney Corporation, Inc. (JCPenney), through exclusive supplier agreements for the LIZ CLAIBORNE and MONET jewelry lines and Kohl's Corporation (Kohl's) through an exclusive supplier agreement for DANA BUCHMAN jewelry. It also has licenses for the LIZ CLAIBORNE NEW YORK brand, available at QVC and LIZWEAR, which is distributed through the club store channel. It maintains an 18.75% stake in MEXX, a European and Canadian apparel and accessories retail-based brand. As of December 31, 2011, the Company operated a total of 307 specialty retail stores under various Company trademarks, consisting of 285 retail stores within the United States and 22 retail stores outside of the United States (primarily in Europe and Canada). The Company operates in four segments: JUICY COUTURE segment, KATE SPADE segment, LUCKY BRAND segment, and Adelington Design Group & Other segment. In August 2013, Granite Real Estate Investment Trust closed its acquisition of a 600,000 square foot logistics-distribution facility in West Chester (Cincinnati), Ohio from the Company. In February 2014, the Company completed the sale of Lucky Brand Dungarees Inc.

JUICY COUTURE segment consists of the specialty retail, outlet, concession, wholesale apparel, wholesale non-apparel (including accessories, jewelry and handbags), e-commerce and licensing operations of its JUICY COUTURE brand. KATE SPADE segment consists of the specialty retail, outlet, wholesale apparel, wholesale non-apparel, e-commerce and licensing operations of its KATE SPADE and JACK SPADE brands. LUCKY BRAND segment consists of the specialty retail, outlet, wholesale apparel, wholesale non-apparel, e-commerce and licensing ! operations of its LUCKY BRAND. Adelington Design Group & Other segment consists of exclusive arrangements to supply jewelry for the DANA BUCHMAN, LIZ CLAIBORNE and MONET brands; the wholesale non-apparel operations of the TRIFARI brand and licensed KENSIE brand; the wholesale apparel and wholesale non-apparel operations of the licensed LIZWEAR brand and other brands, and the licensed LIZ CLAIBORNE NEW YORK brand.

JUICY COUTURE

The Company�� JUICY COUTURE brand offers luxurious, casual and fun women's and girl's apparel, as well as accessories and jewelry under various JUICY COUTURE trademarks. JUICY COUTURE products are sold through wholly owned specialty retail and outlet stores, select upscale specialty retail stores and department stores throughout the United States, through a network of distributors and owned and licensed retail stores in Asia, Canada, Europe, South America and the Middle East, as well as through its JUICY COUTURE e-commerce Website. In addition, JUICY COUTURE has existing licensing agreements for fragrances, footwear, optics, watches, swimwear, electronics cases and baby products.

KATE SPADE

The Company�� KATE SPADE brand offers fashion products (accessories, apparel and jewelry) for women and men under the KATE SPADE and JACK SPADE respectively. These products are sold primarily in the United States through wholly owned specialty retail and outlet stores, select specialty retail and upscale department stores, its operations in Brazil and the United Kingdom and through its KATE SPADE e-commerce Website, as well as through joint ventures in Japan and China and through a network of distributors in Asia. KATE SPADE's product line includes handbags, small leather goods, fashion accessories, jewelry and apparel. In addition, KATE SPADE has licensing agreements for footwear, optics, fragrances, tabletop products, legwear, electronics cases, bedding and stationery. JACK SPADE products include briefcases, travel bags, small leather go! ods and a! pparel.

LUCKY BRAND

The Company�� LUCKY BRAND offers an expanded assortment of men's and women's denim, woven and knit tops, dresses and sweaters, graphic tees, as well as accessories and jewelry, under various LUCKY BRAND. LUCKY BRAND products are available for sale at wholly owned specialty retail and outlet stores in the United States and Canada, select department and specialty stores and through the LUCKY BRAND e-commerce Website. LUCKY BRAND also has licensing agreements for fragrances, footwear, swimwear, eyewear and electronic cases.

Adelington Design Group & Other

The operations within the Company Adelington Design Group & Other segment consist of exclusive supplier arrangements to provide JCPenney with LIZ CLAIBORNE and MONET branded jewelry and Kohl's with DANA BUCHMAN-branded jewelry for two years; a license to produce and sell jewelry under the KENSIE brand name; a royalty free license for the LIZ CLAIBORNE NEW YORK brand; LIZWEAR, women's apparel available through the club store channel, and TRIFARI, a signature jewelry brand for women sold in mid-tier department stores.

The Company competes with Marc by Marc Jacobs, JCrew, Michael Kors, Pink, Coach, Diane von Furstenberg, Diesel, Guess, True Religion, 7 for all Mankind, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Tory Burch.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Laura Brodbeck]

    Wednesday

    Earnings Expected: Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO), Macy�� (NYSE: M), Sony (NYSE: SNE), Kate Spade (NYSE: KATE) Economic Releases Expected: �Japanese GDP, US PPI, eurozone industrial production, British unemployment rate

    Thursday

  • [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

    Cindy Ord/Getty Images It may be back-to-school shopping season, but this doesn't mean that moms -- or other well-to-do fashionistas -- can't snap up a seasonal bargain. There may never be a better time to buy designer totes, satchels or shoulder bags. This is the time of year when Coach (COH), Michael Kors (KORS) and Kate Spade (KATE) usually discount some of their dated product lines ahead of new fall arrivals. But the markdowns may be even juicier this summer. Gross margins are contracting, and inventory is starting to build up. This is bad news for handbag makers and investors, but it should be good news for folks looking to buy a luxury purse. Let's Fly Coach Coach is the largest of the three luxury handbag makers, but that's about to change. After yielding market share to Michael Kors and to a lesser extent Kate Spade in recent years, analysts see Michael Kors overtaking Coach this upcoming holiday shopping season. Coach isn't doing very well. Sales and adjusted earnings are fell 7 percent and 35 percent, respectively, in its latest quarter. However, investors were braced for an even sloppier showing. Strong international sales, particularly in China, helped offset some but clearly not all of the domestic shortfalls (Coach suffered a 16 percent decline in North American sales). Coach was the only one of the three publicly traded luxury handbag makers to see its stock climb the trading day after announcing results. The other two are growing, but there are problematic signs for investors across all three players. Calling a Spade a Spade Kate Spade is the smallest of the three, and it was the last of the three to report. After unloading its Juicy Couture apparel and Lucky Brand premium denim lines, Kate Spade has been able to focus on its booming premium handbag and accessories business. Kate Spade's sales soared 49 percent in its latest quarter, and it was able to turn a year-ago deficit into an adjusted profit this time around. The stock still too

  • [By Heather Long]

    It also didn't help that competition increased from Michael Kors (KORS), Kate Spade (KATE)and Tory Burch, among others.

    Coach's turnaround plan: Enter Vevers. The company is aiming for the higher-end consumer again now that Vevers is Executive Creative Director.

Top 10 Retail Stocks To Buy For 2015: Staples Inc.(SPLS)

Staples, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an office products company. The company offers various office supplies and services, office machines and related products, computers and related products, and office furniture under Staples, Quill, and other proprietary brands. It also provides copy and print services to retail and delivery customers, as well as technology services through its EasyTech business. The company sells and delivers office products and services directly to businesses and consumers through Internet retail, including Staples.com and Quill.com, as well as through contract sales force, direct mail catalog business, and retail stores. As of January 28, 2012, it operated 2,295 retail stores in 48 states and the District of Columbia in the United States; and 10 provinces and 2 territories in Canada, as well as in Belgium, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, the United Kingdom, China, Argentina, and Australia. The company also operated 124 distribution and fulfillment centers in 29 states in the United States; 7 provinces in Canada; and in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, China, Argentina, Brazil, and Australia. Staples, Inc. was founded in 1986 and is based in Framingham, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Michael Lewis]

    Though considered by some to be a sinking ship and/or takeover target, office supply juggernaut Staples (NASDAQ: SPLS  ) is pushing through its 52-week highs as the company reported respectable earnings during Thursday's trading. Realistically, revenue is growing, the balance sheet is very conservative, and management has taken solid steps in pushing Web-based sales and delivery, as well as international expansion. Still, the company faces headwinds in a devastatingly low-margin business that requires expansion outside of core office products. Should Staples be a part of your retail portfolio? Let's take a look at recent earnings to find out.

  • [By Sean Williams]

    Office supply superstore Staples (NASDAQ: SPLS  ) powered higher on the week despite receiving a downgrade from research firm Zacks to "underperform" last Thursday. The reasoning behind the downgrade had to do with weak economic growth and tighter consumer spending. As for me, I see this as more analyst white noise. The pending combination of OfficeMax�and Office Depot�is bound to create disruptions that Staples will be able to exploit. Compound this with the introduction of Apple accessories last month and I feel Staples presents a compelling turnaround candidate.

Top 10 Retail Stocks To Buy For 2015: Axxess Unlimited Inc (AXXU)

Axxess Unlimited, Inc., incorporated on June 8, 2000, is the holding company for the Axxess family of companies. The Axxess family of companies includes both vertically-integrated operating businesses and horizontally-integrated companies with each supported by a common software technology - the Axxess RISE Platform. The Company provides next-generation business intelligence for a range of businesses and organizations. It provides information-driven business solutions through interactive marketing, interactive technologies, application and product development, customer relationship management, business intelligence, portals and collaboration, and infrastructure solutions. Its companies include Axxess Digital (AxxuD), Axxess Apps (AxxuA) and Axxess Brands (AxxuB).

Axxess Digital

AxxuD is an interactive digital agency company. The Company relies on the core logic of the Axxess Unlimited RISE platform.

Axxess Apps

AxxuA is a software development company. The focus of AxxuA includes: enterprise applications, custom applications, cloud applications and mobile applications. The Company has software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions and custom and mobile products available in the government services, automobile dealership, medical and consumer goods sectors.

Axxess Brands

AxxuB is a marketer and manufacturer of specialty brands in better-for-you and indulgent categories under a variety of Company owned and licensed brand names. AxxuB licenses brands and provides outsource management.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By James E. Brumley]

    Even if you're one of the few reading this now, odds are good that you'd still never heard of Axxess Unlimited Inc. (OTCMKTS:AXXU) until the beginning of February. Prior to that, trading in AXXU was thin and uneventful. The evidence? Prior to February 4th, the average daily volume was less than 10,000 shares per day, and had been stuck right around the $0.20 mark since the middle of last year. Since February 4th, though, things have changed for the better. Since then, volume has been considerably stronger, and Axxess Unlimited shares have finally woken up and decided to forge ahead.

  • [By James E. Brumley]

    A week and a half ago, yours truly penned some bullish thoughts on Axxess Unlimited Inc. (OTCMKTS:AXXU). Not too many traders read that take, and/or if they did, they didn't seem to care. The response to the commentary was non-existent (good or bad), and there was no sudden rush to go out and buy AXXU. Today's second look may have a different outcome.

Top 10 Retail Stocks To Buy For 2015: Officemax Incorporated(OMX)

OfficeMax Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, distributes business-to-business and retail office products. Its Contract segment markets and sells office supplies and paper, technology products and solutions, office furniture, and print and document services directly to large corporate and government offices, as well as to small and medium-sized offices through field salespeople, outbound telesales, catalogs, Internet, and office products stores. As of December 31, 2011, this segment operated 38 distribution centers in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand; 4 customer service and outbound telesales centers in the United States; and 47 office products stores in Canada, Hawaii, Australia, and New Zealand. The company?s Retail segment markets and sells office supplies and paper, print and document services, technology products and solutions, and office furniture to small and medium-sized businesses and consumers through a network of reta il stores. As of December 31, 2011, this segment operated 978 stores in the United States and Mexico; 3 large distribution centers in the United States; and 1 small distribution center in Mexico. The company, formerly known as Boise Cascade Corporation, was founded in 1913 and is headquartered in Naperville, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Duprey]

    Office supplies retailer�OfficeMax (NYSE: OMX  ) announced yesterday its third-quarter dividend of $0.02 per share, the same rate it's paid for the past four quarters after slashing the payout 87% from $0.15 per share.

Top 10 Retail Stocks To Buy For 2015: Vitamin Shoppe Inc (VSI)

Vitamin Shoppe, Inc., incorporated on September 27, 2002, is a specialty retailer and direct marketer of vitamins, minerals, herbs, specialty supplements, sports nutrition and other health and wellness products. During the fiscal year ended December 29, 2012 (fiscal 2012), the Company marketed over 400 different brands, as well as its own brands, which include Vitamin Shoppe, BodyTech and True Athlete. The Company sells its products through two segments: retail and direct. In the Company's retail segment, the Company had a total of 286 new stores during the fiscal 2012. As of January 26, 2013, the Company operated 579 stores in 42 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Ontario, Canada, primarily located in high-traffic regional retail centers. In the Company's direct segment, the Company sells its products directly to consumers through the Internet, primarily at www.vitaminshoppe.com. On February 14, 2013, Vitamin Shoppe Mariner, Inc. acquired Super Supplements, Inc.

Retail

The Company's retail segment includes its retail store format. Its retail stores are is located in diverse geographic and demographic markets, ranging from urban locations in New York City, to suburban locations in Plantation, Florida and Manhattan Beach, California. As of January 26, 2013, the Company leased the property for all of its 579 stores. The Company's primary warehouse and distribution center and corporate headquarters are consolidated into a leased, 230,000 square-foot facility.

Products

The Company offers a selection of vitamins, minerals, herbs, homeopathic remedies, specialty supplements, such as fish oil, probiotics, glucosamine and Co Q10, sports nutrition, weight management, as well as natural bath and beauty, pet supplements and options for a healthy home. The Company's offers includes approximately 17,500 stock keeping units (SKUs) from over 400 brands. The Company offers products to its assortment in its Vitamin Shoppe, BodyTech, True Athlete and O! ptimal Pet brands, which include products, such as Ultimate Man, Ultimate Women, Whey Tech Pro 24 and Natural Whey Protein. The Company also offers an assortment from national brands, such as Optimum Nutrition, USP Labs, Garden of Life, Cytosport, Nature's Way, Solaray and Solgar. This assortment is designed to provide the Company's customers with a selection of available product in order to help them achieve their health and wellness goals.

The vitamin and mineral product category includes multi-vitamins, which many consider to be a foundation of a healthy regimen, lettered vitamins, such as Vitamin A, C, D, E, and B-complex, along with trace minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, chromium and zinc. Certain herbs can be taken to help support specific body systems, including ginkgo to support brain activity and milk thistle to help support liver function, as well as other less common herbs, such as holy basil for stress support and blood sugar control and black cohosh for menopause support. Herbal products include whole herbs, standardized extracts, herb combination formulas and teas.

Categories of specialty supplements include omega fatty acids, probiotics and condition specific formulas. Certain specialty supplements, such as organic greens, psyllium fiber and soy proteins, are taken for added support during various life stages. Folic acid is specifically useful during pregnancy. Super antioxidants, such as coenzyme Q-10, grapeseed extract and pycnogenol, are taken to address specific conditions. High ORAC (oxygen radical absorptive capacity) fruit concentrates like gogi, mangosteen, pomegranate and blueberry are taken to prevent oxygen radical damage. Other specialty supplement formulas are focused to support specific organs, biosystems and body functions. The Company offers approximately 3,000 SKUs in sports nutrition.

The Company's other category include natural beauty and personal care, diet and weight management supplements, natural pet food, and low carb foo! ds. Natur! al beauty and personal care products offer an alternative to traditional products that often contain synthetic and/or other ingredients that the Company's customers find objectionable. The Company offers approximately 3,000 SKUs for its other category. The Company's natural pet products include nutritionally balanced foods and snacks along with condition specific supplements such as glucosamine for joint health. Its variety of diet and weight management products range from low calorie bars, drinks and meal replacements to energy tablets, capsules and liquids.

The Company competes with Vitamin World, GNC, Whole Foods, Costco, Wal-Mart, Rite-Aid, Walgreens, Amazon.com, Puritan's Pride, Vitacost.com, Bodybuilding.com, Doctors Trust, Swanson and iHerb.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jeremy Bowman]

    What: Shares of the Vitamin Shoppe (NYSE: VSI  ) were looking under the weather today, falling as much as 10% after a disappointing earnings report.

  • [By Brian Pacampara]

    Sales growth this last quarter was up only about 6%, but net income per share was up 21%. They pay a $0.60 dividend which gives them a dividend yield of 1.4%. Their cash flow yield is 4.6%, so they could easily raise their dividend. They are by far the leader in a very fragmented industry. I believe both [Vitamin Shoppe (NYSE: VSI  ) ] and GNC will do well and I think they may make a fair pairing in a portfolio. Stability versus growth.

    They do have $1.1 billion in debt. But they generate about $200 million in cash flow a year and they have $174 million in cash, so that shouldn't be a problem. Their cash flow is very high, so in my opinion, is reason enough to believe they will beat the S&P 500 over the next ten years.

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Barclays upgraded share s of Vitamin Shoppe (VSI) today, expressing a confidence in management that was, well, heartwarming.

    Barclays’ analysts Meredith Adler and Sean Kras call Vitamin Shoppe’s management team “thoughtful, deliberate and disciplined” and praise their ability to diversify the business. As a result, they upgraded Vitamin Shoppe to Overweight from Equal Weight two days after Vitamin Shoppe released its earnings.

    But Adler and Kras also spent a good number of words explaining what Vitamin Shoppe isn’t–specifically, it’s not GNC Holdings (GNC):

    [Vitamin Shoppe] said it saw no fundamental change in consumer demand, nor did it feel much pressure from the bad media reports about things like multi-vitamins and fish oil, unlike GNC. [Vitamin Shoppe] has a much broader offering than GNC, however, so weakness in any one category rarely has a major impact on�[Vitamin Shoppe's] overall sales the way it does at GNC. Conversely, it benefits less when there are few very successful products. For example, diet is a far smaller part of the sales mix at�[Vitamin Shoppe] than at GNC. Last year diet had some strong products, but this year there are fewer. GNC�� comps were stronger than�[Vitamin Shoppe's] last year, but we like the stability of�[Vitamin Shoppe's] business, especially in the current environment.

    Shares of Vitamin Shoppe have gained 1.8% to $43.42 at 3:24 p.m., while GNC has risen 0.8% to $37.43.

Top 10 Retail Stocks To Buy For 2015: Cato Corp (CATO)

The Cato Corporation (Cato) is a women�� fashion specialty retailer. As of January 28, 2012, the Company operated 1,288 fashion specialty stores in 31 states, principally in the southeastern United States, under the names Cato, Cato Fashions, Cato Plus, It�� Fashion, It�� Fashion Metro and Versona Accessories. It operates in two segments: stores and Credit. The Company�� stores offer a assortment of on-trend apparel and accessory items in primarily junior/missy, plus sizes, girls sizes 7 to 16, men�� and kids sizes newborn to seven. Its merchandise lines include dressy, career, and casual sportswear, dresses, coats, shoes, lingerie, costume jewelry, handbags, men�� wear and lines for kids and newborns. Its merchandise is sold under its private label and is produced by various vendors in accordance with the Company�� specifications.

The Company offers its own credit card and a layaway plan to make the purchase of its merchandise convenient for its customers. The Company�� stores are located in the southeastern United States in a variety of markets ranging from small towns to metropolitan areas with trade area populations of 20,000 or more. Stores average approximately 4,500 square feet in size. The Company offers its own credit card, which accounted for 4.8% of retail sales during the fiscal year ended January 28, 2012 (fiscal 2012).

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Duprey]

    Clothing retailer�Cato� (NYSE: CATO  ) �announced yesterday�its second-quarter dividend of $0.05 per share, the same rate it paid last quarter after paying a special dividend of $1.00 per share in December.

  • [By Reuters]

    Julio Cortez/AP NEW YORK -- Many U.S. retailers had to ramp up promotions last month as shoppers continued to watch their spending during the holiday season, hitting profits at several chains. L Brands (LB) cut its earnings forecast for the holiday quarter Thursday after reporting disappointing December sales at its Victoria Secret and La Senza chains. The company said it had to offer more deals than expected, the second month in a row it has had to do so. Family Dollar Stores (FDO) and teen retailer Zumiez (ZUMZ), which both reported sales declines for December, also slashed their profit forecasts. Even retailers that saw big sales gains, such as Kay Jewelers parent Signet Jewelers (SIG), weren't spared. "Additional discounting was necessary in a highly promotional retail environment," Signet Chief Executive Officer Mike Barnes said in a statement. A group of nine U.S. retailers in the Thomson Reuters same-store sales index are expected Thursday to report a sales rise of 1.9 percent in December at stores open at least a year, well below the 7.2 percent increase of a year earlier. Including drugstore chains Walgreen (WAG) and Rite Aid (RAD), analysts estimate the rise at 2.7 percent. Gap (GPS) will report after the markets close Thursday. Faced with reticent shoppers worried about their job prospects and modest economic growth, retailers offered more discounts during the holiday season than a year earlier. Between Nov. 3 and Jan. 4, eight retailers, including Walmart Stores (WMT), Target (T) and Macy's (M) , increased the number of circulars published by 6 percent and sent 57 percent more promotional emails, according to data prepared for Reuters by MarketTrack. Retailers also had to deal with shoppers who were less willing to go into stores: Data firm ShopperTrak this week said foot traffic had dropped 14.6 percent this holiday season. Walgreen, whose comparable sales of general merchandise rose 2.5 percent in December, said fewer shoppers had com

  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    The Cato (NYSE: CATO) was down, falling 11.89 percent to $26.52 on Q4 results. Cato reported its Q4 earnings of $0.13 per share, versus analysts' estimates of $0.13 per share. Cato Corporation expects FY14 earnings of $1.47 to $1.66 per share, versus estimates of $1.86 per share.

  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    The Cato (NYSE: CATO) was down, falling 6.35 percent to $28.19 on Q4 results. Cato reported its Q4 earnings of $0.13 per share, versus analysts' estimates of $0.13 per share. Cato Corporation expects FY14 earnings of $1.47 to $1.66 per share, versus estimates of $1.86 per share.

Top 10 Retail Stocks To Buy For 2015: World Fuel Services Corporation (INT)

World Fuel Services Corporation, a fuel logistics company, engages in marketing, selling, and distributing aviation, marine, and land fuel products and related services worldwide. The company operates in three segments: Aviation, Marine, and Land. The Aviation segment offers fuel and related services to commercial airlines, second and third-tier airlines, cargo carriers, regional and low cost carriers, airports, fixed based operators, corporate fleets, fractional operators, private aircraft, military fleets, and to the U.S. and foreign governments. Its aviation related services include fuel management, price risk management, arranging ground handling, and dispatch services; and arranging and providing international trip planning, including flight plans, weather reports, and overflight permits. The Marine segment offers fuel and related services to international container and tanker fleets, commercial cruise lines, yachts, and time-charter operators, as well as to the U.S. and foreign governments. Its marine fuel related services comprise management services for the procurement of fuel, cost control, quality control, and claims management. This segment also provides various services, which consist of fueling of vessels in port and sea, and transportation and delivery of fuel and fuel products. The Land segment offers fuel and related services to petroleum distributors operating in the land transportation market; retail petroleum operators; and industrial, commercial, and government customers, as well as engages in crude oil marketing activities. Its land related services include management services for the procurement of fuel and price risk management. In addition, the company offers transaction management services, which consists of card payment solutions and merchant processing services to customers in the aviation, marine, and land transportation industries. World Fuel Services Corporation was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Miami, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Brian Pacampara]

    Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, fuel logistics company World Fuel Services (NYSE: INT  ) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

  • [By Eric Volkman]

    World Fuel Services (NYSE: INT  ) is about to pump out its latest distribution to stockholders. The company has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.0375 per share of its stock, to be paid on July 5 to shareholders of record as of June 21.

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