Top Retail Companies To Watch For 2014

Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of Jamba Juice (NASDAQ: JMBA  ) plummeted 19% today after the fruit smoothie chain slashed its outlook for 2013.

So what: Jamba shares have rallied nicely over the past year on steadily improving same-store sales, but yesterday's downbeat guidance reignites serious concerns over its ability to grow profitably. While the news wasn't all bad (Jamba also announced that retail giant Target�will be rolling out 1,000 JambaGo locations), management's disappointing outlook for sales, four-wall profit margins, and operating earnings suggests that Jamba's competitive position is rapidly weakening.

Now what: Management now expects same-store sales to increase no more than 1% in 2013, well below its prior growth forecast of 4% to 6%. "Jamba's adjusted targets for 2013 and preliminary forecasts for 2014 represent a realistic and balanced approach to achieve sustained, long-term growth and also drive significant gains this year in operating margin, net income and other key metrics," Chairman and CEO James White reassured investors. Of course, when you couple Jamba's intensifying competitive environment with the stock's forward P/E of 17, I'd wait for an even wider margin of safety before buying into that bullishness.

Top 5 Computer Hardware Companies To Invest In Right Now: PetSmart Inc(PETM)

PetSmart, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty retailer of products, services, and solutions for pets in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada. The company offers consumables, such as pet food, treats, and litter; and hardgoods, which include pet supplies and other goods comprising collars, leashes, health care supplies, grooming and beauty aids, toys, apparel, and pet beds and carriers, as well as aquariums and habitats, accessories, d�or, and filters for fish, birds, reptiles, and small pets. It also provides fresh-water fish, small birds, reptiles, and small pets; and pet services, such as grooming, including precision cuts, baths, nail trimming and grinding, and teeth brushing, as well as training, boarding, and day camp services. In addition, the company operates PetsHotels that offer boarding for dogs and cats; provides personalized pet care, an on-call veterinarian, temperature controlled rooms and suites, daily specialty treats and p lay time, and day camp services for dogs; and operates veterinary hospitals, which offer services comprising routine examinations and vaccinations, dental care, a pharmacy, and surgical procedures. As of January 29, 2012, it operated 1,232 retail stores; 192 PetsHotels; 791 veterinary hospitals under the trade name of Banfield, The Pet Hospital; and 8 hospitals operated through other third parties in Canada. The company also offers its products through an e-commerce and community site, PetSmart.com. PetSmart, Inc. was founded in 1986 and is based in Phoenix, Arizona.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shauna O'Brien]

  Pet supply retailer PetSmart, Inc. (PETM) reported lower fourth quarter financial results on Wednesday, but beat earnings estimates.

  PETM’s Earnings in Brief

  PETM posted Q4 earnings of $131 million, or $1.28 per share, from $134 million, or $1.24 per share, a year ago. Revenue for the quarter was $1.8 billion, down 2.9% from last year. On average, analysts expected to see earnings of $1.21 per share and revenue of�$1.83 billion. For FY2013, earnings jumped 19% to�$4.02 per share from$3.38 per share in 2012. Net sales rose 4.3% to $6.9�billion. Looking forward, PETM expects to see FY2014 earnings between�$4.42 and $4.54 per share and sales growth in the range of 4%-6%. Analysts expect to see earnings of $4.45 per share.

  CEO Commentary

  David Lenhardt, CEO of PETM commented: ���e are pleased to report our results for fiscal year 2013, marking the fourth consecutive year of double-digit earnings per share growth.�I would like to thank our associates for their hard work and caring for our customers and communities.��/p>

  PETM’s Dividend

  PETM paid its last quarterly dividend of 19.5 cents on February 14. We expect the company to declare its next dividend sometime in March.

  Stock Performance�

  PetSmart shares were up $1.14, or 1.62%, during pre-market trading Wednesday. The stock is down 7% YTD.

• [By John Udovich]

  About�a week ago, Wall Street was biting small cap pet stock Petmed Express Inc (NASDAQ: PETS) for not living up to its earnings expectations�- meaning it might be worth taking a closer look at the stock�and compare its performance with other pet stocks like mid cap PetSmart, Inc (NASDAQ: PETM) and small cap VCA Antech Inc (NASDAQ: WOOF). I should also mention that we have recently added Petmed Express to our SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) portfolio because we think the stock is undervalued in the pet space and has tremendous growth potential�moving forward.

• [By Anthony Mirhaydari]

  I’ve also added ODP short to my Edge Letter Sample Portfolio.

  Stocks to Sell #3: PetSmart (PETM)

  
  Click to Enlarge PetSmart (PETM) is another specialty retailer that had been surging higher, but now amid a slowing of same-store sales and customer traffic, is rolling over.

Top Retail Companies To Watch For 2014: Express Scripts Holding Co (ESRX)

Express Scripts Holding Company, incorporated in 2011, provides healthcare management and administration services on behalf of its clients, which include health maintenance organizations (HMOs), health insurers, third-party administrators, employers, union-sponsored benefit plans, workers compensation plans, and government health programs. The Company operates in two segments: Pharmacy Benefit Management (PBM) and Emerging Markets (EM). PBM services include network claims processing, home delivery services, patient care and direct specialty and fertility home delivery to patients, benefit plan design consultation, drug utilization review, formulary management, drug data analysis services, distribution of injectable drugs to patients homes and physicians offices, bio-pharma services, and fulfillment of prescriptions to low-income patients through manufacturer-sponsored patient assistance programs. EM segment provides distribution of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies to providers and clinics, healthcare account administration and implementation of consumer-directed healthcare solutions. In September 2013, it announced the acquisition of the SmartD Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (PDP).

On July 20, 2011, Express Scripts, Inc. (ESI) entered into a merger agreement (the Merger Agreement) with Medco Health Solutions, Inc. (Medco). During the year ended December 31, 2011, it reorganized its FreedomFP line of business from its EM segment into its PBM segment. On April 2, 2012, the Company completed the Merger Agreement, and after which ESI and Medco became the wholly owned subsidiaries of the Company. The Company�� customers include HMOs, health insurers, third-party administrators, employers, union-sponsored benefit plans, government health programs, office-based oncologists, renal dialysis clinics, ambulatory surgery centers, primary care physicians, retina specialists and others.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 squeaked out new highs today, while the Nasdaq Composite and small caps dropped, following stronger-than-forecast manufacturing data out of China and a U.S. manufacturing survey that had to be corrected twice. Caterpillar (CAT) and Broadcom�(BRCM) gained, while Express Scripts (ESRX) and Puma Biotechnology (PBYI) tumbled.

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts (NASDAQ: ESRX  ) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Next Monday, Express Scripts (NASDAQ: ESRX  ) 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.

Top Retail Companies To Watch For 2014: DSW Inc (DSW)

DSW Inc. (DSW), incorporated on January 20, 1969, is a United States branded footwear and accessories specialty retailer operating 326 shoe stores in 40 states as of January 28, 2012, and dsw.com. DSW has two segments: the DSW segment, which includes the DSW stores and dsw.com sales channels, and the leased business division segment. As of January 28, 2012, it operated 326 DSW stores, dsw.com and leased departments in 261 Stein Mart stores, 74 Gordmans stores and one Frugal Fannie�� store. During the fiscal year ended January 28, 2012 (fiscal 2011), DSW opened 17DSW stores and closed two DSW stores. On May 26, 2011, Retail Ventures, Inc. (RVI) merged with and into DSW MS LLC (Merger Sub), with Merger Sub surviving the Merger and continuing as a wholly owned subsidiary of DSW. In March 2012, the Company announced the opening of its store on 34th Street in Manhattan. In September 2013, DSW Inc announced the opening of a new store in Eatontown, NJ. In October 2013, DSW Inc announced the opening of two new stores in New York City. In October 2013, DSW Inc announced the opening of a new store in Greenville, SC.

The Company offers an assortment of brand name and designer dress, casual and athletic footwear for women and men, as well as accessories through its DSW stores and dsw.com. It also offers kids' shoes exclusively on dsw.com. The Company leases stores, distribution and fulfillment centers and office facilities under various arrangements with related and unrelated parties. DSW also operates leased departments for three retailers in its leased business division segment. As of January 28, 2012, DSW supplied merchandise to 261 Stein Mart stores, 74 Gordmans stores and one Frugal Fannie�� store. During fiscal 2011, DSW added 20 leased departments and ceased operations in 36 leased departments.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Big earnings movers: Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF) reported better-than-expected earnings and revenues and raised its guidance slightly, but even posting a new 52-week high early could hold the stock from dropping about 1.3% today. Brown Shoe Co. Inc. (NYSE: BWS) also posted good earnings, but followed with slightly lower EPS guidance and the stock lost about 9%, trading around $21.60 in a 52-week range of $13.68 to $24.78. Another footwear maker, DSW Inc. (NYSE: DSW) put up good results and raised its guidance as well, sending shares up more than 9% to a new 52-week high of $88.73 in the mid-morning.

Top Retail Companies To Watch For 2014: Pier 1 Imports Inc (PIR)

Pier 1 Imports, Inc. (Pier 1 Imports), incorporated in April 30, 1986, is a global importer of imported decorative home furnishings and gifts. As of March 2, 2013, the Company had 1,062 stores in the United States and Canada. During the fiscal year ended March 2, 2013 (fiscal 2013), the Company opened 22 new Pier 1 Imports stores and closed 12 stores. The Company operates regional distribution center facilities in or near Baltimore, Maryland; Columbus, Ohio; Fort Worth, Texas; Ontario, California; Savannah, Georgia, and Tacoma, Washington. The specialty retail operations of the Company consist of retail stores and e-Commerce operations conducting business under the name Pier 1 Imports, which sell a range of furniture, decorative home furnishings, dining and kitchen goods, candles, gifts and other specialty items for the home.

As of March 2, 2013, the Company operated 982 Pier 1 Imports stores in the United States and 80 Pier 1 Imports stores in Canada. During fiscal 2013, the Company supplied merchandise and licensed the Pier 1 Imports name to Grupo Sanborns, which sold Pier 1 Imports merchandise primarily in a store within a store format in 49 Sears Mexico stores and one store in El Salvador. The stores consist of freestanding units located near shopping centers or malls and in-line positions in major shopping centers. Pier 1 Imports operates in all major United States metropolitan areas and many of the primary smaller markets.

Decorative Accessories

This merchandise group constitutes the range of category of merchandise in Pier 1 Imports��sales mix. These items are imported primarily from Asian and European countries, as well as some domestic sources. This merchandise group includes decorative accents, lamps, vases, dried and artificial flowers, baskets, ceramics, dinnerware, bath and fragrance products, candles, seasonal and gift items.

Furniture

This merchandise group consists of furniture and furniture cushions to be used in livin! g, dining, office, kitchen and bedroom areas, sunrooms and on patios. Also included in this group are wall decorations and mirrors. These goods are imported from a variety of countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Brazil, Thailand, China, the Philippines, India and Indonesia, and are also obtained from domestic sources. This merchandise group is made of metal or handcrafted natural materials, including rattan, pine, beech, rubberwood and selected hardwoods with either natural, stained, painted or upholstered finishes.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Earnings Expected From: Family Dollar Stores, Inc (NYSE: FDO), Pier 1 Imports, Inc (NYSE: PIR), Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE: RAD), Shaw Communications Inc (NYSE: SJR)

• [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 Pier 1 Imports (NYSE: PIR  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Marshall Hargrave]

  Pier 1 Imports (PIR) gets little publicity, but it's one of the best turnaround stories to come out of the financial crisis. This specialty retailer has come roaring back from near bankruptcy in 2009 and has positioned itself as one of the leading home goods stores. The company's balance sheet has drastically improved and it appears to be a quite the growth story going forward.

Top Retail Companies To Watch For 2014: Inchcape PLC (INCH)

Inchcape plc is a global premium automotive distributor and retailer. The Company provides a professional and financed route to market for automotive manufacturers across five continents. Inchcape acts as a vehicle and parts distributor in 22 of its 26 markets. In these markets, the Company has responsibility for managing the value chain on behalf of a focused portfolio of premium and luxury brand partners. The Company�� responsibilities as a distributor include specifying vehicles to meet local market requirements, organizing logistics from the factory gate through to the retail center, appointing and performance managing the retail network and acting as the national marketer of the brand. The Company derives over two third of its profit from Asia Pacific and emerging markets. Its markets include Hong Kong, Singapore, Russia, Chile, Ethiopia, Australia and the United Kingdom. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Inchcape Plc (INCH) surged 9.9 percent to 645 pence, the highest level since June 2008. The largest publicly traded U.K. car retailer and wholesaler reported first-half adjusted pretax earnings increased 11 percent. The company also announced share buybacks of 100 million pounds in the next year.