Staples

• Don't Ignore the Boring Stocks

  By Timothy Green - June 19, 2013 | Tickers: CSCO, SPLS, WU |

  It's easy to get a little too excited about the next big thing. Investors throw their money into stocks like Tesla, 3D printing companies, or new cloud-based tech IPOs, expecting far more than these companies can realistically deliver. At the same time these investors ignore the stocks of mature companies operating in boring industries, often missing fantastic opportunities in the process. Three stocks that fall into this category, all more »

• Are There Other Ways to Take Advantage of the 3D Printing Market?

  By John Casteele - June 19, 2013 | Tickers: ADSK, GE, RSH, SPLS

  I recently wrote about companies that could be of interest to investors looking to cash in on a potential 3D printing boom. Some might think it's too risky to invest in the companies directly, since if the boom fizzles then the companies might not take off like anticipated. If you look around, there are other options that might seem like good ways to indirectly invest in the future of more »

• A Look at the Office Supply Retailers

  By Damon Churchwell - June 14, 2013 | Tickers: ODP, OMX, SPLS

  I had first blogged about the office supply retail store operators in December of last year (see my December blog). Since then the largest component of that industry,Staples (NASDAQ: SPLS), has seen a substantial boost to its share price.

  May-quarter earnings appear to have incited investors to further bid up the shares, as profitability is improving and full-year revenues are on track to climb. In all, management seems to more »

• Pzena Still Believes in Turnarounds

  By Marshall Hargrave - May 31, 2013 | Tickers: BP, HPQ, OMC, SPLS, TEL

  Richard Pzena founded Pzena Investment Management in 1995 and now has more than $24 billion in assets under management. The firm's strategy is to rank companies from the cheapest to the most expensive based on current earnings to normal long-term earnings power. Basically, Pzena likes to buy companies that are good businesses selling at low prices. Outlined below are Pzena's top five stock holdings at the end of more »

• Can These Stocks Continue Their Run?

  By Anthony Parsons - May 29, 2013 | Tickers: BBY, HPQ, SPLS

  So far in 2013, the three stocks highlighted in this article have had dramatic increases in share prices. This article will take a look at whether this can continue. Furthermore, it will look at bright spots within the companies to see where they are doing well and also to find areas that could bring strong growth. I believe these are solid companies and I will tell you why.

  The three more »

• Mixed Earnings And A Higher Stock Price

  By Timothy Green - May 24, 2013 | Tickers: ODP, OMX, SPLS |

  Of the three big office supply chains, soon to be two with the merger of Office Max (NYSE: OMX) and Office Depot (NYSE: ODP) looming, the clear leader is Staples (NASDAQ: SPLS). Staples has struggled to grow sales as of late, with 2012 seeing a slight decline, but this is at least partially due to weakness in Europe. Staples reported its Q1 earnings a few days ago, and while the more »

• A Specialty Retailer the Internet Cannot Kill

  By Jordan Wathen - May 24, 2013 | Tickers: AZO, ODP, OMX, SPLS

  Specialized retailers and category killers make for excellent businesses, but there's a very big difference between good and bad.

  Some are runaway successes; others are businesses in perpetual decline. Whether or not a business will fail or succeed comes down to one variable: the effect of tech.

  Retail vs. the internet.

  Built on the idea that they could deliver office supplies to corporate customers, and offer a range of more »

• Can Online Sales Tax Win the Battle for This Retailer?

  By Stephanie Faris - May 14, 2013 | Tickers: AMZN, SPLS, WMT

  As legislators continue to vote on a bill that will levy a sales tax on all Internet purchases, Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) recently reclaimed its top spot on the Fortune 500. But, Wal-Mart's celebration is bad news for online giant Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) after a  long period of competition that culminated in Wal-Mart removing Amazon's Kindle from its shelves.

  Billions in sales

  Granted, Wal-Mart has always been the more »

• Can the Office Retailers Survive?

  By Dana Blankenhorn - May 5, 2013 | Tickers: ODP, OMX, SPLS

  In a few months there will be two office “superstores” left, once Office Depot (NYSE: ODP) finishes its purchase of OfficeMax (NYSE: OMX) and begins its direct competition with Staples (NASDAQ: SPLS).

  The question for investors isn't which company will survive, but will any of them? Over the last year, five years, or 10 years, all three of these companies have been losing value and losing money.

  How can more »

• The Big Office Supply Merger Creates An Interesting Opportunity

  By Matthew Frankel - April 19, 2013 | Tickers: ODP, OMX, SPLS

  After announcing their intention to merge with OfficeMax Incorporated (NYSE: OMX), Office Depot (NYSE: ODP) initially spiked to around $6 per share, and wound up settling at around $5 for a little while.  Since then, however, shares have shed over 25% of their value, and are currently in the mid-$3 range.  With the cost savings expected from the merger, is this a chance to get in at a discount more »

• The Big Office Supply Merger Creates An Interesting Opportunity

  By Matthew Frankel - April 17, 2013 | Tickers: ODP, OMX, SPLS

  After announcing their intention to merge with OfficeMax Incorporated (NYSE: OMX), Office Depot (NYSE: ODP) initially spiked to around $6 per share, and wound up settling at around $5 for a little while.  Since then, however, shares have shed over 25% of their value, currently in the mid-$3 range.  With the cost savings expected from the merger, is this a chance to get in at a discount?  When looking more »

• Can These Three Retailers Survive 2013?

  By Leo Sun - April 13, 2013 | Tickers: RSH, SHLD, SPLS

  Being a brick-and-mortar retailer in the digital age is tough. Being able to match the prices of online stores while juggling products to offset real estate and inventory costs is a hard, thankless job. Over the past decade, the Internet and shifting trends in retail have eliminated many notable retailers, such as Circuit City, Borders, Linens & Things and K.B. Toys.

  Today, retailers sit at a crossroads - on one hand more »

• Retail Turnarounds Can Be Good Speculative Plays

  By Bob Chandler - April 2, 2013 | Tickers: BBY, KSS, SPLS

  Turning around a bad retail situation is a difficult task. The odds are very much against a broken store operator regaining its former glory, and a single management misstep could initiate a crisis that ends up in bankruptcy. On the other hand, shareholders can benefit greatly if a turnaround is successful. Even a stabilization of an under-performing retailer’s operations can provide good returns.

  Cash: An excellent indicator of turnaround more »

• Selling Office Supplies Is Boring and Dangerous

  By Joshua Bondy - April 1, 2013 | Tickers: AMZN, ODP, OMX, SPLS

  Value investors are famous for seeking out boring and profitable business. The office supplies market is boring -- but it's not that profitable. However, while its competitors continue to suffer, Staples (NASDAQ: SPLS) remains the sector's one exception. 

  Has the Internet Changed Everything? 

  Critics often note that office supply specialty stores face stiff competition from online competitors. Consumers don't care if they get their printer paper from a more »

• Wal-Mart's e-Commerce Potential

  By Adam Levy - March 29, 2013 | Tickers: AMZN, SPLS, WMT |

  Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) sold $466 billion worth of merchandise in its most recent fiscal year. By comparison, only 26 countries produce a GDP higher than Wal-Mart’s revenue. Despite being such a behemoth in the retail space, Wal-Mart is still behind its competition in some respects – particularly e-commerce. While the company expects to generate $9 billion in online revenue this year, that’s just 2% of its total sales from more »

• Office Supply: That Wasn't Easy

  By David Mercer - March 26, 2013 | Tickers: ODP, OMX, SPLS

  As an overall sector, retail is intensely competitive. In recent years, margins decreased for even the largest behemoths, such as Wal-Mart, Costco, and Target. Unfortunately, these losses were even more widespread in the office supply sub-sector. In light of these (recent) developments, analysts predict sector consolidation. Recently, Office Depot (NYSE: ODP) and OfficeMax (NYSE: OMX) announced their merger intentions. To be blunt, office supply struggled since the beginning of the more »

• How Well Do You Know E-commerce?

  By John Bromels - March 22, 2013 | Tickers: AMZN, AAPL, BBY, SPLS, WMT

  E-commerce.  It launched Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) and killed Borders.  But are there limits to what it can do for a company?  For today's trivia quiz, put the following five companies (listed alphabetically) in order by annual online sales volume, from greatest to least:

  Amazon

  Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL)

  Best Buy (NYSE: BBY)

  Staples (NASDAQ: SPLS)

  Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT)

  (Note: No squeakers here! Each company is separated from the others by more »

• Office Supply Shake-Out: How to Play Staples, Office Depot, and OfficeMax

  By John Macris - March 20, 2013 | Tickers: ODP, OMX, SPLS

  With nine months remaining in the calendar year, 2013 has plenty of room left to earn accolades for the record books. For stock market investors, the year has already been earmarked as 1) "the year of the deal," with plenty of M&A activity, and 2) a definite time of transition for the office supply sector.
  
  Pencils, paper, and ink cartriges are a serious business. We entered the new year more »

• Still a Good Investment After Revenue Miss and Merger News

  By Timothy Green - March 19, 2013 | Tickers: ODP, OMX, SPLS

  For a long time the office supply industry had three main players: Staples (NASDAQ: SPLS), Office Depot (NYSE: ODP), and Office Max (NYSE: OMX). After years of speculation the two smaller companies, Office Depot and Office Max, have agreed to merge with each other in an attempt to become more competitive. Staples does about $24 billion in annual revenue compared to a combined revenue of about $17.5 billion for more »

• The Office Product Industry Is Getting Interesting!

  By Shas Dey - March 19, 2013 | Tickers: ODP, OMX, SPLS

  The office product industry has been hit by a weakening economy and low customer purchases. Furthermore, competition has increased as bigger retailers like Costco Wholesale and Wal-Mart Stores have entered this segment. Also, companies are facing stiff competition from the online retail giant Amazon.com. This has triggered a price war that is hurting margins.

  Staples (NASDAQ: SPLS) tumbled 7%, to $12.34, the lowest price since January 2013, as more »

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