Top 10 Retail Companies To Buy Right Now

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) crept higher once again today, gaining 20 points, or 0.13%, to close at 15,484, after briefly topping 15,500. Strong earnings from Citigroup helped reassure Wall Street, going into the heart of earnings season and coming on the heels of solid reports from JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo last week. The nation's No. 3 bank by assets reported adjusted profits up 26% on strong investment banking earnings to $1.25 a share, topping the $1.18 analysts expected. Shares finished up 2%.

Elsewhere, June retail sales disappointed, growing just 0.4% on expectations of 0.7%. Excluding auto sales, growth was flat, and spending in several discretionary categories such as restaurants actually dropped from May. Retail sales are always a closely watched economic indicator, as consumer spending is one of the biggest drivers of economic growth. In the day's other noteworthy reports, the July Empire Stare Manufacturing index blew past estimates of 3.6, coming in at 9.5, indicating that manufacturing growth remains strong in the Northeast, and May business inventories topped estimates, growing 0.1%.

Top Gas Utility Stocks To Buy For 2016: 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 Ben Levisohn]

  But just because Parker sees underperformance for consumer stocks, doesn’t mean that some can outperform (just don’t look for consumer staples). They screened for stocks that appear set to outperform over three months and 24 months based on their quantitative models, yet are also favorites of Morgan Stanley’s fundamental analysts. Stocks that meet the criteria include Delphi Automotive, Macy’s and Penske Automotive (PAG), while stocks that fail on all criteria include J.C. Penney and VF Corp. (VFC).

• [By Richard Moroney]

  Penske Automotive (PAG) announced a 6.3% increase in its quarterly dividend on October 23, saying the move reflected its confidence in the ��trength of the auto retail marketplace.��

Top 10 Retail Companies To Buy Right Now: Sears Holdings Corporation(SHLD)

Sears Holdings Corporation operates as a specialty retailer in the United States and Canada. The company?s Kmart segment operates stores that sell merchandise under Jaclyn Smith and Joe Boxer labels; and Sears brand products, such as Kenmore, Craftsman, and DieHard. This segment?s stores provide consumer electronics, seasonal merchandise, outdoor living, toys, lawn and garden equipment, food and consumables, and apparel, as well as operate in-store pharmacies. Its Sears Domestic segment operates stores that sell merchandise under the Kenmore, Craftsman, DieHard, Lands? End, Covington, Apostrophe, and Canyon River Blues brand names. This segment?s stores provide appliances, consumer electronics, tools, sporting goods, outdoor living, lawn and garden equipment, home fashion products, automotive products, apparel, footwear, jewelry, accessories, health and beauty products, pantry goods, household products, and toys. The Sears Domestic segment also provides clothing, acces sories, footwear, and soft luggage; appliances and services to commercial customers in single-family residential construction/remodel, property management, multi-family new construction, and government/military sectors; premium appliance and plumbing fixtures to architects, designers, and new construction or remodeling customers; parts and repair services for appliances, lawn and garden equipment, consumer electronics, floor care products, and heating and cooling systems; and home improvement services. The company?s Sears Canada segment engages in the retail of apparel and other softlines. Sears Holdings Corporation operates approximately 2,172 full-line stores and 1,338 specialty retail stores in the United States; 500 full-line and specialty retail stores in Canada, as well as operates 17 floor covering stores, 1,734 catalog pick-up locations, and 108 travel offices; and kmart.com and sears.ca Websites. The company was founded in 1899 and is based in Hoffman Estates, Illi nois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sue Chang and Ben Eisen]

  Sears Holdings Corp. (SHLD) �disappointed the market with plunging same-store sales , sending its shares tumbling 14%. The company said comparable sales declined 7.4% in the quarter-to-date holiday season. The firm, which investors have punished for its reluctance to invest in its stores, said it forecasts a full-year loss of $7.64 to 8.61 a share, compared to the average estimate of $6.80 a share loss, according to FactSet.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  JC Penney’s weakness is all its own. Macy�� (M) has gained 0.4% to $44.64, Sears�(SHLD) has risen 3.7% to $56.50 and Kohl���(KSS) has ticked down 0.1% to $53.90.

• [By Morgan Housel]

  Backfired
  BusinessWeek profiles Sears Holdings (NASDAQ: SHLD  ) Eddie Lampert's management style:�

  An outspoken advocate of free-market economics and fan of the novelist Ayn Rand, he created the model because he expected the invisible hand of the market to drive better results. If the company's leaders were told to act selfishly, he argued, they would run their divisions in a rational manner, boosting overall performance.

• [By Jeff Reeves]

  Johnson was fired, but the bleeding has continued as the company continues to operate at a loss. There has been a small glimmer of hope lately, with a one-day pop of 25% on hopes that cost-cutting would succeed and revenue declines had finally bottomed ��but the end of bad news is not the start of growth, so don�� believe the turnaround hype just yet.

  Sears (SHLD)
  

  Returns since 1/1/14: -24%
  Returns since 1/1/11: -45%
  Revenue Growth Last Year: -9% ($39.8 billion in FY13 to $36.2 billion for FY14)

Top 10 Retail Companies To Buy Right Now: Lands End Inc (LE)

Lands��End, Inc. (Lands��End), incorporated on August 19, 1986, is a multi-channel retailer of casual clothing, accessories and footwear, as well as home products. The Company offers products through catalogs, online at www.landsend.com and affiliated specialty and international Websites, and through retail locations, primarily at Lands��End Shops at Sears and standalone Lands��End Inlet stores. The Company operates in two segments: Direct and Retail, and it offers merchandise that includes men��, women�� and kids��apparel, outerwear and swimwear; specialty apparel; accessories; footwear; and home products. In addition, Lands��End Business Outfitters offers business casual apparel and a variety of promotional products that can be embroidered to enhance a partner company�� image. The Lands��End School Uniform business provides school uniforms and school-appropriate clothing designed to meet dress-code requirements.

Lands��End Direct

The Company�� Direct business sells its products through its United States and international e-commerce websites and through direct mail catalogs. The customers can choose from several ordering methods- Internet, phone, mail, or in-store computer kiosks. The Company also offers specialty services, such as monogramming, embroidery and hemming pants to length. It also operates three call centers out of Dodgeville, Reedsburg and Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Its customer care representatives are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 364 days a year. The Company�� apparel sales include men��, women�� and kids��apparel, footwear and accessories. It offers a full range of fits from Petites to Plus for women, Slim to Husky for kids and Big and Tall for men. The Company�� Lands��End Canvas collection focuses on updating the Lands��End heritage pieces with tailored fits, designs and fabrics throughout the line. Through its Lands��End Business Outfitters and School Uniform businesses, it offers tailored and busi! ness casual apparel for office wear, trade shows and company events and uniforms and school-appropriate clothing designed to meet dress-code requirements.

Lands��End Retail

The Company�� Retail business sells products and services through standalone Lands��End Inlet stores and dedicated Lands��End Shops at Sears across the United States. Each Lands��End Shop at Sears features Lands��End products, personalized service, enhanced visuals and a shopping lounge where customers can search all of its offerings through the Internet and its catalog. The Company�� Lands��End Shops at Sears offer a selection of products for men, women and kids and select stores offer footwear and products for the home.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. -- Sears Holdings recorded a hefty second-quarter loss Thursday on another sales slump, raising more concerns about the future of a company that once was a staple of American shopping. The company, which operates Sears and Kmart, said it plans to do more cost-cutting to right the ship. That includes closing more stores beyond the 130 that it had announced earlier this year. But investors weren't encouraged. They sent shares down 4 percent in premarket trading. Sears (SHLD), controlled by billionaire hedge fund investor Edward Lampert, lost $573 million, or $5.39 a share, for the period ended Aug. 2. That's more than double the loss of $194 million, or $1.83 a share, a year earlier. It marked its ninth straight quarterly loss. Revenue declined 10 percent to $8 billion from $8.87 billion. One bright spot was online and multi-channel sales, which increased 18 percent. The challenges facing CEO and Chairman Lampert are enormous. The company has been cutting costs, reducing inventory and selling assets to return to profitability. At the same time, it's shifting its focus on running a store network to operating a member-focused business called Shop Your Way. But its biggest albatross remains its stores, which have been criticized for being outdated and shabby. Lampert, a billionaire hedge fund investor, combined Sears and Kmart in 2005, about two years after he helped bring Kmart out of bankruptcy. But it has faced mounting pressure from nimbler rivals such as Walmart Stores (WMT) and Home Depot (HD). Sears is also facing broader issues that are tripping up many other retailers. Like other stores catering to the low- to middle-income customers, Sears is grappling with a slowly recovering economy that's not benefiting all Americans equally. It also is wrestling with shoppers' shift away from physical stores to PCs and mobile devices for shopping and research. Lampert said in a statement that th

• [By Craig Jones]

  Worth said that the stock significantly underperformed peers in the last two months. While American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE: AEO) and Family Dollar Stores, Inc. (NYSE: FDO) gained 38.5 and 28 percent, respectively, Amazon.com, Inc. fell 0.6 percent. Lands' End, Inc. (NASDAQ: LE) also did much better than Amazon.com, Inc., with an increase in price of 23.1 percent and Kohl's Corporation (NYSE: KSS) managed to gain 19.5 percent. Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ: ROST) jumped 17.9 percent and Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE: FL) added 15.8 percent. The weakness in 2014 is a concern for Carter Worth because between 2009 and 2014 Amazon.com, Inc. outperformed the market and the retail space.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  If Land’s End (LE) proved anything with its financial results today, it’s that it’s not Sears (SHLD).

  ZUMAPRESS.com

  Remember: Land’s End was spun off from Sears back in April, as CEO Eddie Lampert continued to pare back non-core assets, though a better term for those assets might be “the good stuff.”

  And that term appears appropriate for Land’s End following today’s financial results. Land’s End reported a profit of 37 cents a share, up from 35 cents a year earlier, while sales grew by more than 5% to $347.2 million. (When Sears last reported in August, its sales fell 9.7%, while reporting a loss of $573 million.)

  Investors rejoiced. Shares of Land’s End have jumped 21% to $40.39, a new all-time high, and even Sears is getting in on the fun. It’s shares have gained 2.2% to $33.63 at 3:42 p.m.

• [By James Brumley]

  Another decline in quarterly revenue came as no surprise when Sears Holdings (SHLD) reported first quarter results on Thursday morning. The retailer has been shedding revenue-bearing properties like Lands’ End (LE) in earnest for about three years now, while simultaneously axing operational stores; 80 more stores have been or will be closed in 2014.

Top 10 Retail Companies To Buy Right Now: Macy’s Inc (M)

Macy�s, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates stores and Internet Websites in the United States. Its retail stores and Internet Web sites sell a range of merchandise, including apparel and accessories for men, women, and children; cosmetics; home furnishings; and other consumer goods. The company also operates Bloomingdale�s Outlet stores that offer a range of apparel and accessories, including ready-to-wear, shoes, fashion accessories, jewelry, handbags, and intimate apparel products. As of January 28, 2012, it operated approximately 840 stores under the names of Macy�s and Bloomingdale�s; and 7 Bloomingdale�s Outlet stores, as well as macys.com and bloomingdales.com. The company was formerly known as Federated Department Stores, Inc. and changed its name to Macy�s, Inc. in June 2007. Macy�s, Inc. was founded in 1820 and is based in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Reuters]

  Craig Warga/Bloomberg via Getty Images NEW YORK -- Looks like the best suitor won. After an extended chase that included overtures on both sides, Men's Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank will combine to create the nation's fourth largest seller of menswear. Men's Wearhouse (MW) said Tuesday that it's buying its rival Jos. A. Bank Clothiers (JOSB) for $1.8 billion. The company will pay $65 a share, a 5 percent premium to Jos. A. Bank's most recent closing price. As part of the deal, Jos. A. Bank also said it's terminating its deal to acquire the parent company of Eddie Bauer, which sells rugged outerwear. Shares of both companies rose on the news: Men's Wearhouse's shares were up nearly 5 percent to $57.13, while shares of Jos. A. Bank increased nearly 4 percent to $64.22. The acquisition comes after months of the two chains publicly fighting over who would acquire whom. Industry watchers had speculated that a merger was inevitable given the challenges the companies face in the increasingly competitive menswear landscape. With more than 1,700 U.S. stores and $3.5 billion in annual sales, the combined company's reach in men's clothing will fall behind only Macy's (M), Kohl's (KSS) and J.C. Penney (JCP). "Together, Men's Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank will have increased scale and breadth," Doug Ewert, president and CEO of Men's Wearhouse, said in a statement. Jos. A. Bank made the first move in October when it offered to buy its larger rival for $2.3 billion, just a few months after Men's Wearhouse ousted its founder and chairman. Men's Wearhouse shot down that offer, and turned the tables, offering to buy its rival for $1.54 billion. But after Jos. A. Bank turned down that bid, Men's Wearhouse increased its offer to $1.6 billion, and then again to $1.78 billion. In the middle of the back-and forth, Jos. A. Bank said last month that it was buying the parent of Eddie Bauer, but left the door open for a deal with Men's Wearhouse. At the time, it said if it received

• [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]

  Macy�� online performance over the past three months hasn�� been good. However, management has been making a lot of wise moves that should lead to investor rewards. While Macy�� wouldn�� be capable of withstanding a severe stock market correction, it�� one of the most well-run retailers in the industry. That being the case, as long the broader market holds, Macy�� should perform well. This is in addition to a generous 2.10 percent yield.

• [By Rich Bieglmeier]

  [Related -Macy's, Inc. (M): The One Department Store Stock You Can Trust]

  Upside earnings surprises are what Macy's management has delivered 12 of the last 13 quarterly checkups. On average, the retailer earned 19.85% more than the consensus estimate.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  If any retailer was set primed to beat the Street come earnings time, it was Macy’s (M). The department-store operator is known for being among the best operators and its stock had remained resilient despite retail struggles this year.

  Bloomberg

  Not quite. Macy’s reported a profit of 80 cents, missing forecasts for 86 cents, and Macy’s said its sales would grow between 1.5% and 2%, compared with its previous forecast for 2.5% to 3%. As a result, its shares have dropped 6.2% to $56.04 at 1:55 p.m. Stifel’s Richard Jaffe and team don’t get all the fuss:

  Macy�� reported 2Q EPS of $0.80, below our EPS estimate of $0.87 and consensus of $0.86, representing an 11% increase from EPS of $0.72 LY. EPS was negatively impacted by $0.02 related to the timing of tax settlements. The company performed in-line with internal plans although below the street�� expectations (the company gave no guidance for 2Q) which is pressuring shares today. However, despite the challenging environment Macy�� comp sales increased 3.4% (+4% with leased departments) as sales trends improved when the weather patterns normalized. This leads us to believe merchandise assortments in stores are on-trend. Expenses were tightly managed, leveraging 70 bps as a percentage of sales. While gross margin declined 35 bps, the lean inventory levels likely helped minimize the need for significant clearance efforts. The tough economic environment for retail will likely continue to be a headwind for the company; however, we believe Macy�� continued effective execution of its key strategies: My Macys, MAGIC selling, omnichannel initiatives and merchandising improvements should drive sales longer term and help the company continue to gain market share. We maintain our Buy rating and 12-month target price of $64.

  As you might imagine, Macy’s miss has hit other department stores (I assume because if Macy’s isn’t able to beat, how will any

Top 10 Retail Companies To Buy Right Now: Walgreen Co (WAG)

Walgreen Co. (Walgreens), incorporated on February 15, 1909, together with its subsidiaries, operates the drugstore chain in the United States. The Company provides its customers with access to consumer goods and services, pharmacy, and health and wellness services in communities across America. The Company offers its products and services through drugstores, as well as through mails, by telephone and online. The Company sells prescription and non-prescription drugs, as well as general merchandises, including household items, convenience and fresh foods, personal care, beauty care, photofinishing and candy. On August 2, 2012, it acquired 45% interest in Alliance Boots GmbH (Alliance Boots). In September 2012, the Company completed the purchase of a regional drugstore chain in the mid-South region of the United States that included 144 stores operated under the USA Drug, Super D Drug, May��, Med-X and Drug Warehouse names. In September 2012, WP Carey & Co LLC acquired five retail stores leased to Walgreen Co. In December 2012, the Company completed a transaction giving company a ownership stake in Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Pharmacy LLC.

The Company's pharmacy, health and wellness services include retail, specialty, infusion and respiratory services, mail service, convenient care clinics and worksite health and wellness centers. These services help improve health outcomes and manage costs for payers including employers, managed care organizations, health systems, pharmacy benefit managers and the public sector. The Company's Take Care Health Systems subsidiary is a manager of worksite health and wellness centers and in-store convenient care clinics, with more than 700 locations throughout the United States.

As of August 31, 2012, Walgreens operated 8,385 locations in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico. In 2012, the Company opened or acquired 266 locations for a net increase of 175 locations after relocations and closings. As of August 31, 2012, the Com! pany had 7,930 of Drugstores, 366 of Worksite Health and Wellness Centers, 76 of Infusion and Respiratory Services Facilities, 11 of Specialty Pharmacies and two of Mail Service Facilities. The Company's drugstores are engaged in the retail sale of prescription and non-prescription drugs and general merchandise. General merchandise includes, among other things, household items, convenience and fresh foods, personal care, beauty care, photofinishing and candy.

The Company offers specialty pharmacy services that provide customers nationwide access to a variety of medications, services and programs for managing complex and chronic health conditions. In addition, the Company offers its customers infusion therapy services, including the administration of intravenous (IV) medications for cancer treatments, chronic pain, heart failure, and other infections and disorders which must be treated by IV. Walgreens provides these infusion services at home, at the workplace, in a physician's office or at a Walgreens alternate treatment site. The Company also provides clinical services, such as laboratory monitoring, medication profile review, nutritional assessments and patient and caregiver education.

Customers can also access the Company's e-commerce solutions, which extend the convenience to purchase most products available within its drugstores, as well as additional products sold exclusively online through its walgreens.com and drugstore.com Websites, including beauty.com and visiondirect.com. The Company's Websites allow consumers to purchase general merchandise including beauty, personal care, home medical equipment, contact lenses, vitamins and supplements and other health and wellness solutions. The Company's mobile applications also allow customers to refill prescriptions through their mobile device, download weekly promotions and find the nearest Walgreens drugstore. The Company also offers services through Take Care Health Systems, which manages its Take Care Clinics at select Wa! lgreens d! rugstores throughout the country.

Alliance Boots is a pharmacy-led health and beauty retailing and pharmaceutical wholesaling and distribution business. As of March 31, 2012, its fiscal year end, Alliance Boots had, together with its associates and joint ventures, pharmacy-led health and beauty retail businesses in 11 countries and operated more than 3,330 health and beauty retail stores, of which over 3,200 had a pharmacy. In addition, Alliance Boots had approximately 625 optical practices, approximately 185 of which operated on a franchise basis. Its pharmaceutical wholesale and distribution businesses, including its associates and joint ventures, supplied medicines, other healthcare products and related services to more than 170,000 pharmacies, doctors, health centers and hospitals from over 370 distribution centers in 21 countries.

Alliance Boots�� stores located in the United Kingdom, Norway, the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, Thailand and Lithuania and through its associates and joint ventures in Switzerland, China, Italy, Russia and Croatia. In addition, as of March 31, 2012, there were 58 Boots stores operated in the Middle East on a franchised basis. In its Health & Beauty Division, Alliance Boots has product brands such as No7, Soltan and Botanics, together with other brands, such as Boots Pharmaceuticals and Boots Laboratories. Through its Pharmaceutical Wholesale Division and several of its associates, Alliance Boots sells Almus, its line of generic medicines, in five countries and Alvita, its line of patient care products, in six countries.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MONEYMORNING.COM]

  Walgreen Co. (NYSE: WAG) is thought to be considering a deal, while Pfizer Inc.'s (NYSE: PFE) attempt via a deal with Britain's AstraZeneca Plc. (NYSE ADR: AZN) fell apart.

• [By Adam Levine-Weinberg]

  Nevertheless, Rite Aid's relatively strong fiscal year 2013 results were driven by a number of one-time or short-term benefits. These items helped mask the company's fundamental competitive disadvantages vis-a-vis larger rivals Walgreen (NYSE: WAG  ) and CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS  ) . While Rite Aid could generate impressive stock returns in a best-case scenario, the company's poor competitive positioning creates substantial long-term risk for shareholders. Therefore, I still think investors would be wise to avoid the stock.

• [By Anora Mahmudova]

  Walgreen Co. (WAG) �shares fell initially but rebounded to end up 3.7% after the drugstore chain�� fiscal first-quarter profit met estimates. Earnings rose to $695 million, or 72 cents a share, from $413 million, or 43 cents a share, a year earlier. Chief Executive Greg Wasson said margins were affected by generics.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Wall Street expects Walgreen Co. (NYSE: WAG) to report its Q1 earnings at $0.75 per share on revenue of $19.50 billion. Walgreen shares rose 0.01% to $74.28 in the after-hours trading session.

Top 10 Retail Companies To Buy Right Now: Citi Trends Inc (CTRN)

Citi Trends, Inc., incorporate on March 3, 1999, is a retailer of urban fashion apparel and accessories for the entire family. The Company offers branded apparel from national brands, as well as private label apparel, accessories and a limited assortment of home decor items. As of February 2, 2013, the Company operated 513 stores in both urban and rural markets in 29 states. The Company�� stores average approximately 10,700 square feet of selling space and are located in neighborhood shopping centers. The Company also offers products under its brands, such as Diva Blue, Red Ape, Vintage Harlem and Lil Ms Hollywood. The Company�� store offers a variety of products for men and women, as well as children. During the fiscal years ended February 2, 2013 (fiscal 2012), the Company opened four new stores.

The Company's merchandise includes apparel, accessories and home decor. Within apparel, the Company offers fashion sportswear for men, women and children, including offerings for newborns, infants, toddlers, boys and girls. Accessories include handbags, jewelry, footwear, belts, intimate apparel and sleepwear. All merchandise sold in the Company's stores is shipped directly from its distribution centers in Darlington, South Carolina and Roland, Oklahoma.

The Company competes with TJX Companies, Inc., Ross Stores, Inc., The Cato Corporation, Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corp., Rainbow, Dots, It's Fashion!, Simply Fashions, Wal-Mart and Target, Kmart.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Calling all cash flows
  When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Citi Trends (Nasdaq: CTRN  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Top 10 Retail Companies To Buy Right Now: Foot Locker Inc (FL)

Foot Locker, Inc., incorporated on April 7, 1989, is a global retailer of shoes and apparel, operating 3,335 primarily mall-based stores in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand as of February 2, 2013. The Company operates in two segments: Athletic Stores and Direct-to-Customers. The Athletic Stores segment is an athletic footwear and apparel retailer whose formats include Foot Locker, Lady Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Champs Sports, Footaction, and CCS. The Direct-to-Customers segment includes Footlocker.com, Inc. and other affiliates, including Eastbay, Inc. and CCS, which sell to customers through Internet websites, mobile devices, and catalogs. In September 2013, the Company acquired Runners Point Warenhandels GmbH (Runners) from Hannover Finanz GmbH.

Athletic Stores

Foot Locker is a global athletic footwear and apparel retailer. Its stores offer the products manufactured primarily by the athletic brands. Foot Locker offers products for a variety of activities, including basketball, running, and training. Additionally, the Company operates 65 House of Hoops, primarily a shop-in-shop concept, which sells basketball inspired products. Foot Locker�� 1,883 stores are located in 23 countries, including 1,072 in the United States, Puerto Rico, United States Virgin Islands, and Guam, 129 in Canada, 590 in Europe, and a combined 92 in Australia and New Zealand. The domestic stores have an average of 2,300 selling square feet and the international stores have an average of 1,500 selling square feet. Lady Foot Locker is a United States retailer of athletic footwear, apparel, and accessories for active women. Its stores carry athletic footwear and apparel brands, as well as casual wear and an assortment of apparel designed for a variety of activities, including running, walking, training, and fitness. In November 2012, the Company announced the introduction of a new banner named SIX:02. This new banner is an elevated retail concept featuring brand! s in fitness apparel and athletic footwear for women. Lady Foot Locker and SIX:02 operate 300 and 3 stores, and are located in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands. These stores have an average of 1,300 selling square feet.

The Company�� Kids Foot Locker is a national children�� athletic retailer that offers a selection of brand-name athletic footwear, apparel and accessories for children. Its stores feature an environment geared to appeal to both parents and children. Its 305 stores are located in the United States, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Europe, and Canada. These stores have an average of 1,400 selling square feet. Footaction is a national athletic footwear and apparel retailer. Its 283 stores are located throughout the United States and Puerto Rico and focus on marquee footwear and branded apparel. The Footaction stores have an average of 2,900 selling square feet. Champs Sports is a mall-based specialty athletic footwear and apparel retailers in North America. Its product categories include athletic footwear and apparel, and sport-lifestyle inspired accessories. Its 539 stores are located throughout the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands. The Champs Sports stores have an average of 3,500 selling square feet. As of February 2, 2013, the Company operated 22 stores in the United States.

Direct-to-Customers

The Company�� Direct-to-Customers segment is multi-branded and multi-channeled. This segment sells, through its affiliates, directly to customers through its Internet websites, mobile devices, and catalogs. The Direct-to-Customers segment operates the Websites for eastbay.com, final-score.com, eastbayteamservices.com, ccs.com, as well as Websites aligned with the brand names of its store banners (footlocker.com, ladyfootlocker.com, kidsfootlocker.com, footaction.com, and champssports.com). Eastbay is a direct marketer in the United States, providing the high sch! ool athle! te with a sports solution, including athletic footwear, apparel, equipment, team licensed, and private-label merchandise. CCS serves the needs of the 12-20 year old seeking an authentic board lifestyle shop. CCS is anchored in skate but appealing to the surrounding board culture. The CCS format offers board lifestyle merchandise that will fit the needs of the customer all year long and stocks a selection of both core and lifestyle brands. The retail store operations of CCS are included in the Athletic Stores segment.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Kell and Lauren Pollock var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); ]

  Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Friday’s session are Big Lots Inc.(BIG), Foot Locker Inc.(FL) and Analogic Corp.(ALOG)

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Tomorrow, Foot Locker (NYSE: FL  ) will release its latest quarterly results. The key to making smart investment decisions on stocks reporting earnings is to anticipate how they'll do before they announce results, leaving you fully prepared to respond quickly to whatever inevitable surprises arise. That way, you'll be less likely to make an uninformed kneejerk reaction to news that turns out to be exactly the wrong move.

• [By Alex Planes]

  Colorful clog maker Crocs disappointed on both top and bottom lines in its latest quarter, because of sluggish back-to-school sales, weaker employment growth, and macroeconomic uncertainty both domestically and abroad. Crocs' same-store sales in the Americas and Japan fell by 8.3% and 16.3%, respectively, but it's still enjoying notable growth in European and Asia-Pacific markets, where customers have taken great interest in the comfortable brand. This recent weakness has led Crocs to underperform the indexes as compared to Deckers Outdoor (NASDAQ: DECK  ) , Skechers (NYSE: SKX  ) and other shoe-makers -- its growth during our three-year tracking period is now the weakest of any major shoe brand (including shoe outlet Foot Locker (NYSE: FL  ) :

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Foot Locker (NYSE: FL) was also up, gaining 8.07 percent to $46.19 as the company announced better-than-expected Q4 results.

  Equities Trading DOWN
  Shares of Analogic (NASDAQ: ALOG) were down 16.00 percent to $80.11 after the company reported downbeat Q2 earnings. CJS Securities downgraded the stock from Market Outperform to Market Perform and cut the price target from $97.00 to $90.00.