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UBS' Thesis On Staples Was Just 'Shredded'
Wednesday, May 11, 2016 - 8:29am | 249A federal judge has blocked the planned merger of Staples, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLS) and Office Depot Inc (NASDAQ: ODP), citing antitrust concerns. UBS' Michael Lasser downgraded the rating for Staples from Buy to Neutral, while reducing the price target from $14 to $10.50. The analyst expects the...
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Growth In Home Improvement Sector Should Last At Least Another 3 Years
Tuesday, May 3, 2016 - 4:14pm | 284The latest housing numbers indicate that the home improvement industry is several years away from the peak of its current cycle. In fact, UBS analyst Michael Lasser sees at least another three years of 4.0–5.0 percent growth in the sector. According to Lasser, home improvement companies Lowe...
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Updated Staples-Office Depot Merger Math Shows 'Massive Potential'
Monday, March 28, 2016 - 10:37am | 305UBS’ Michael Lasser maintained a Buy rating for Staples, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLS), with a price target of $14, after the first week of the hearing on FTC’s case against the company’s merger with Office Depot Inc (NASDAQ: ODP). Shares of Staples and Office Depot have appreciated 11...
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Pair Trade? UBS Upgrades Costco, Downgrades American Express
Monday, October 26, 2015 - 10:43am | 532Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ: COST) shares are up 9 percent year-to-date, while shares of American Express Company (NYSE: AXP) are down 21 percent over the same period. UBS analyst Michael Lasser upgraded Costco from Neutral to Buy, while analyst Matthew Howlett downgraded the rating...
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What Wall Street Is Doing With Target's Stock
Thursday, August 20, 2015 - 1:17pm | 1029Shares of Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) traded as high as $84.62 after the company reported its second quarter results on Wednesday. By Thursday morning, the stock completely reversed course and dipped below the $80 per share mark as investors and traders were debating the positives and...
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TD Ameritrade's Chief Strategist Talks Five Below Ahead Of Earnings
Wednesday, June 3, 2015 - 3:31pm | 260Five Below Inc (NASDAQ: FIVE) is scheduled to report its first quarter results Wednesday after market close. The current Estimize consensus earnings per share estimate (based on 10 estimates) stands at $0.07 on revenue of $152.80 million. This compares to the Wall Street consensus estimate calling...
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UBS: Dollar General 'Bulking Up Its Troops'
Wednesday, June 3, 2015 - 11:54am | 224In a report published Wednesday, UBS analyst Michael Lasser maintained a Buy rating on Dollar General Corp. (NYSE: DG), while raising the price target from $84 to $85. The analyst believes the visibility into the company's outlook is better than average. The company's Q1 results offer greater...
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UBS Outlines Why There's 'Wind' At Five Below's Back
Monday, June 1, 2015 - 8:20am | 327Ahead of its earnings report on Wednesday, UBS research said that the long-term outlook for Five Below Inc (NASDAQ: FIVE) "remains very bright." Analyst Michael Lasser said that Five Below "navigated the challenging retail environment" during the first quarter. In part, UBS...
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What 2 Top Bed Bath & Beyond Analysts Are Watching Before Earnings
Monday, April 6, 2015 - 4:55pm | 369Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBY) will report Q4 earnings Wednesday. The Wall Street consensus was for EPS of $1.81 on revenues of $3.37 billion. Deutsche Bank Deutsche Bank analyst Mike Baker felt the company would report EPS of $1.79 with comps of 4.1 percent. "Expectations...
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Here's Why UBS Upgraded Staples
Monday, March 23, 2015 - 9:50am | 303In a report published Monday, UBS analyst Michael Lasser upgraded shares of Staples, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLS) to Buy from Neutral with a price target raised to $20 from a previous $18 as a recent pullback in shares has created an "attractive entry point." According to Lasser, the upside in shares of...
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UBS Retail Analyst: Best Buy's Combination Of Top, Bottom Line Will Lead To Outperformance
Wednesday, March 4, 2015 - 4:08pm | 344Best Buy Co Inc (NYSE: BBY) declared its fourth-quarter earnings on Tuesday, which were better than analysts' expectations. Adjusted EPS from continuing operations came at $1.48, compared to $1.20 reported in the same quarter last year. The company also announced its first stock buyback since...
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Analysts Not-So-Bullish On Costco
Monday, December 15, 2014 - 2:17pm | 428Analysts at Janney Capital downgraded Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ: COST) on Friday from a Buy to a Neutral rating. According to the research firm, the company’s recent strong performance is not an indicator of how it will perform going forward, as the growth was partly driven by...
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UBS On Costco: 'Filling Up The Margin,' Hikes Price Target Following Q1 Print
Thursday, December 11, 2014 - 9:57am | 223Michael Lasser of UBS reiterated a Neutral rating on Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ: COST) with a price target raised to $145 from a previous $140 following the company's first-quarter results. Lasser is “encouraged” by several trends including members per average...
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UBS 'Rolls Back' Rating On Wal-Mart Due To Valuation
Thursday, December 4, 2014 - 9:51am | 237UBS analyst Michael Lasser downgraded shares of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) to Neutral from Buy on Thursday with an unchanged $91 price target. Lasser states his downgrade is due to valuation reasons. The analyst notes that shares have risen 11 percent last month and its next 12 month (...
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Williams-Sonoma No Longer Immune To Promotional Pressures
Friday, August 29, 2014 - 7:01am | 310Williams-Sonoma (NYSE: WSM) closed down nearly 12 percent Thursday on a weaker than expected outlook suggesting the hardlines retailer is no longer immune to mounting competitive pressures in the sector. Street estimates and management guidance "could prove optimistic in an aggressively...