PETM

Valuentum Economic Castleâ„¢ Rating Update

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Read: Keeping the Horse Before the Cart: Valuentum’s Economic Castle™ Rating The Economic Castle Focuses on the Magnitude of Economic Value Creation The Valuentum Economic Castle™ rating is an enhancement of the competitive advantage framework (commonly known as economic moat analysis) that has become widespread and ubiquitous within the investing world. Whereas an economic moat framework evaluates a firm on the basis of the sustainability and durability of its competitive advantages, Valuentum’s Economic Castle™ rating evaluates a firm on the basis of the firm’s future economic profit spread (return on invested capital less its weighted average cost of capital). The companies with the strongest Valuentum Economic Castle™ ratings are poised to generate the most economic value for shareholders in the … Read more

Who’s Amazon’s Next Victim?

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An interesting white paper was released recently, analyzing how Amazon (click ticker for report: ) is altering the retail landscape. The paper itself had some interesting insights, but our favorite takeaway of Placed’s work was the top ten companies at risk. 1.    Bed Bath and Beyond (click ticker for report: ) 2.    PetSmart (click ticker for report: ) 3.    Toys ‘R Us 4.    Best Buy (click ticker for report: ) 5.    Sears (click ticker for report: ) 6.    Barnes & Noble (BKS) 7.    Kohl’s (click ticker for report: ) 8.    Target (click ticker for report: ) 9.    Costco (click ticker for report: ) 10. JC Penney (click ticker for report: ) For the most part, we agree with the list, … Read more

PetSmart Stumbles on Weak Guidance

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Wednesday afternoon, former Best Ideas Newsletter put option position PetSmart (click ticker for report: ) reported solid fourth quarter results offset by lackluster 2013 guidance. Revenue rose 15% year-over-year to $1.7 billion, falling just shy of consensus estimates. Earnings per share rose 36% year-over-year to $1.24 per share, exceeding consensus expectations by a few cents. Same-store sales growth during the quarter was superb, rising 4.6%, though the growth rate was down sequentially from the 6.5% same-store sales growth rate in the third quarter. Management added some color on the cadence of the quarter, saying: So we don’t typically talk about the inter-quarter, but I think it was a little volatile over the quarter, so it’s worth speaking to for now. … Read more

PetSmart Remains Overvalued

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Wednesday afternoon, pet supplies retailer PetSmart (click ticker for report: ) reported better than expected third quarter results. Revenue grew 9% year-over-year to $1.6 billion, roughly in-line with consensus expectations. Earnings per share jumped 50% year-over-year to $0.75 per share, cruising past consensus estimates. Cash flow was also strong, as the company generated $93 million in free cash flow, returning $18 million via dividends and $60 million worth of share repurchases. Pet spending continues to remain resilient, as same-store sales surged 6.5% compared to the same period last year on 2.3% more transactions. Merchandise sales were strong, growing 9% year-over-year to $1.4 billion, and gross margins increased 30 basis points to 30.2%. Services revenue, which includes veterinary and training services, … Read more