SHLD Archive

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Has The End Begun For Sears Holdings? CIT Stops Financing Sears Vendors

Holdings(SHLD) can’t seem to catch a break.  After weeks of falling, Sears stock rallied 8% today on no news.  Shareholders should cut their rejoicing short after tonight’s report from Bloomberg that (CIT) will no longer finance

2010 Sears logo

vendors for their sales to Sears. CIT would not confirm reports, but Sears spokeswoman Kimberly Freely confirmed the action in an email to Reuters

“We disagree with their (CIT’s) action, in fact we’d point out that other factors are approving shipments to and CIT’s payables represented less than 5 percent of inventories,” Freely said.

Freely explained that “at the end of December, Sears had about $4.2 billion of liquidity, including cash balances of about $0.9 billion” CIT’s action by itself should not threaten Sears future, but if other factors follow suit, the situation could quickly deteriorate.  Sears is in the midst of closing stores and increasing its cash position, and should be in a better situation later in the year, if it can continue to operate normally.  Ironically, , who controls a majority of Sears shares, also owns 2.9% of CIT, which lost 25% of its value in 2011.

We’ve written before that Sears needs to make major changes before its too late.  The company has continued to make important moves such as its recent hire of experienced merchandiser. Unlike Eastman Kodak(EK), the company has enough liquidity to turn things around, but time is rapidly running out.

Disclosure: The author owns shares in $

Has The End Begun For Sears Holdings? CIT Stops Financing Sears Vendors is a post from Inelegant Investor – Something of Value. All Rights Reserved.



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Motley Fool’s Austin Smith Likes Orchard Supply

In a short clip, without giving much detail, Austin Smith mentions he likes the prospects of Orchard Supply(OSH), recently spun off of Sears Holdings(SHLD).  Smith likes management, feels that they’re not competing with Home

DSC28613, OSH Orchard Supply Hardware, Sunnyva...

Depot(HD) and Lowes(LOW) and that Sears may go bankrupt.  Like many Fool articles, there’s not a lot of content here, and it seems largely designed to promote the “free” report below.

Disclosure: The author owns share in OSH and SHLD

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Motley Fool’s Austin Smith Likes Orchard Supply is a post from Stock Spinoffs – Finding Value in Special Situations. All Rights Reserved.



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Orchard Supply Hardware Stock, Spun Off From Sears, In Tail Spin- Time To Buy

It’s been a pretty bad first week for Orchard Supply(OSH).  Since beginning trading on Tuesday  following its spin off from Sears Holdings(SHLD) at $25 with a quick rise to $60, the stock has moved almost straight down to its current price of $15.62.  Yesterday, the company released some preliminary numbers which show some encouraging trends, but still couldn’t stop the bleeding as it’s down over 6% today. The company is basically break-even on a cashflow basis, is showing positive comp sales, is opening and remodeling stores, and trades for under 3  8(UPDATE: Larry pointed out we inadvertently used market cap rather than enterprise value) times EBITDA.  The company also posted a presentation which provides more detail and before/after pictures of store remodels.  We found the presentation to be informative and it gave us confidence in the company’s plan.  We found the graph of same store sales comparisons informative- the company has arrested and reversed a long pattern of declines. We believe many Sears holders are selling small lots because this does not fit with their original investment and thus driving the price down. We are looking to buy more ourselves in the coming days at these prices or lower.  From the press release:

SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Orchard Supply Hardware Stores Corporation, a specialty retailer focused on the consumer segment of the home improvement market, today announced expected financial results for the fiscal year ending January 28, 2012. The Company expects to report final financial results for the period in April 2012. On January 3, 2012, the Company began trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market following its spin-off from Sears Holdings Corporation on December 30, 2011.

Expected Fiscal Year 2011 Results

  • Net sales for the fiscal year 2011 ending January 28, 2012 are expected to be in the range of $659.2 to $663.1 million.
  • Fiscal 2011 comparable store sales(1) are expected to be in the range of negative 0.3% to negative 0.9%. The Company expects to generate positive comparable store sales for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011, marking the second consecutive quarter of positive comparable store sales.
  • Net loss for fiscal 2011 is expected to be in the range of $15.0 to $17.0 million and includes a pre-tax, non-cash loss on sale of approximately $15 million related to sale-leaseback transactions. Fiscal 2011 net loss includes increased interest expense of approximately $0.4 million from the December 2011 amendments to the Company’s financing arrangements. The expected annual increase in interest expense from the amendments to the Company’s financing arrangements is approximately $4.5 million.
  • Fiscal 2011 Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA (see reconciliation of Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA to net loss, below) is expected to be in the range of $40.6 to $44.0 million. Fiscal 2011 Adjusted EBITDA includes approximately $2 million of estimated annual costs of approximately $14.0 to $18.0 million associated with the Company’s transition to an independent, publicly traded company and with the Company’s recent actions to help improve its financial position through recent sale-leaseback transactions. The estimated costs are outlined below and are also discussed in the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 29, 2011.
    • Annual rent expense for five sale-leaseback properties is expected to be approximately $5.0 million. Projected 2011 Adjusted EBITDA includes approximately $0.5 million of rent associated with sale-leaseback properties.
    • Annual operating costs associated with the Company’s transition to a publicly-traded company independent from Sears Holdings Corporation are estimated to be $5.0 to $8.0 million. Projected 2011 Adjusted EBITDA includes approximately $1.5 million of estimated transition-related expenses.
    • Projected 2011 Adjusted EBITDA does not include any incentive compensation expense as performance targets were not achieved. The Company anticipates finalizing an incentive plan for fiscal 2012, which is expected to have an annual expense of $4.0 to $5.0 million.

“We are pleased with the comp store sales momentum we’re beginning to generate,” said Mark Baker, President and CEO. “Our new strategies are gaining traction, marked by effective inventory management, compelling product and merchandising, and a more cohesive and streamlined presentation in the stores.”

“In preparation for the spin-off, we incurred additional costs associated with establishing and expanding our corporate support infrastructure and in strengthening our financial position by renegotiating our financing arrangements and monetizing Company-owned store properties through sale-leaseback transactions. These initiatives have helped us start to lay the foundation to develop and evolve the Orchard brand, but have adversely affected our short-term profitability.”

Fiscal 2012 Store Opening Plans and Comparable Store Sales Expectation

The Company expects to achieve positive comparable store sales(1) for the 2012 fiscal year ending February 2, 2013. Additionally, the Company plans to open up to three new stores and remodel up to six locations. The Company’s remodel plans include three stores involved in the sale-leaseback transactions completed during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011, which will be primarily funded by tenant improvement allowances.

Mr. Baker continued, “We’re focused on five key priorities to drive improvement in the business. These include projecting a consistent and compelling brand identity, driving sales through new merchandising and marketing initiatives, improving operational efficiency, aligning resources and talent, and continuing to strengthen our financial position. While we have made progress, we believe there is a significant opportunity to deliver long-term growth and create shareholder value as we leverage Orchard’s 80-year brand history and execute on our strategic plan.”

“We have an exceptional team in place with deep experience in the home improvement and specialty retail sectors, and look forward to keeping you updated on our progress as we begin our first year as a publicly traded company. A presentation will be posted today on our website to help our new shareholders understand more about our Company,” concluded Mr. Baker.

Disclosure: The author holds shares in SHLD and OSH and intends to purchase more OSH in the next 72 hours

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Orchard Supply Hardware Stock, Spun Off From Sears, In Tail Spin- Time To Buy is a post from Stock Spinoffs – Finding Value in Special Situations. All Rights Reserved.



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Orchard Supply Hardware Common And Preferred Begin Trading Today

Orchard Supply Hardware Common(OSH) and preferred(OSHSP) began trading this morning, following their spinoff from Sears Holdings(SHLD). The newly independent company issued a press release to mark the occasion:

        Orchard Supply Hardware Stores Corporation, a specialty retailer serving homeowners with repair, maintenance and improvement needs, announced that its spin-off from Sears Holdings Corporation was completed at 11:59 p.m. EST on December 30, 2011. Trading of Orchard’s Class A Common Stock will begin today on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “OSH”. Orchard also has Series A Preferred Stock that will be quoted on the OTCQB under the symbol “OSHSP”.

Mark Baker, President and Chief Executive Officer of Orchard commented on the spin-off, “We look forward to Orchard being an independent publicly traded company. During the past year, our team has made significant progress toward developing a differentiated home improvement retail experience. We’re implementing new customer service initiatives and merchandising strategies, and have begun transitioning our stores to a new updated and customer-friendly format that more effectively showcases our merchandise and service offerings. We believe these actions will enable us to leverage the 80-year history of the Orchard brand in order to drive long-term growth and build value for our shareholders.”

Baker continued, “We are thankful for the dedication and hard work of Orchard’s operating team, associates and store employees. We have a remarkable company culture and a talented group of people who are committed to building on Orchard’s long history of superior customer service, selection and convenience.”

In early trading, OSH has settled in near $36 after initial swings between $22.03 and $60. OSHSP is at $.47, trading in a much tighter range of $.45 to $.50.  We previously spoke of the difficulty of valuing the preferred stock it appears that the market has so far accorded little value to it.  OSH, on the other hand is initially trading above our expectations, though much lower than the value implied by Morningstar’s note.

Disclosure: The author owns shares in SHLD, OSH and OSHSP

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Orchard Supply Hardware Common And Preferred Begin Trading Today is a post from Stock Spinoffs – Finding Value in Special Situations. All Rights Reserved.



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Sears Holdings Completes Orchard Supply Hardware Spinoff

Sears Holdings(SHLD) issued a press release this morning announcing the completion of the Orchard Supply Hardware(OSH) spinoff.

 Sears Holdings Corporation (“Holdings,” “we” or “our”)  today announced that it has completed its previously announced spin-off of its interest in Orchard Supply Hardware Stores Corporation (“Orchard”).  Orchard is now independent from Holdings and its Class A Common Stock will begin trading on Jan. 3, 2012 on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the ticker symbol “OSH,” and Orchard’s Series A Preferred Stock will be quoted on the OTCQB.  Holdings will continue to be listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “SHLD.”

The spin-off was effective at 11:59 p.m. EST on Dec. 30 , 2011.  Holdings’ shareholders of record as of the close of business on Dec. 16, 2011 , the record date for the spin-off, received shares of Orchard Class A Common Stock and Orchard Series A Preferred Stock, on a pro-rata basis, that were held by Holdings immediately prior to the spin-off.

Our shares have already shown up in our brokerage account under their CUSIDs, with no value attached as they haven’t traded yet.  It will be interesting to see where they go when they open on Tuesday.

Disclosure: The author owns shares in SHLD, OSH and OSH preferred

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Sears Holdings Completes Orchard Supply Hardware Spinoff is a post from Stock Spinoffs – Finding Value in Special Situations. All Rights Reserved.



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Map And Initial Analysis Of 79 Sears Closings Announced Today

Earlier this week, Sears Holdings(SHLD) announced plans to shutter 100-120 stores. Today, the company released a pdf listing 79 stores to be closed, with more to be announced. I’ve converted this to a spreadsheet and mapped them View Sears Holdings 12/29/2011 Closings in a full screen map Of the stores closing 38 are Kmarts, and [...]

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Softer And Softer Side Of Sears Holdings

It looks like Edward Lampert has lost another round in his great experiment with retail. Neither of the two major brands that comprise Sears Holdings(SHLD) were in good shape when he purchased them. He famously purchased Kmart in bankruptcy, buying debt for pennies on the dollar and emerging from bankruptcy with a controlling stake(despite the [...]

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Is Orchard Supply Worth $10 per Sears Share? Morningstar Seems To Think So

A recent report on Sears Holdings(SHLD) by Morningstar analyst Paul Swinand lowers their fair value estimate for Sears by $10 per share due to the Orchard Supply(OSH) spinoff. Given the distribution ratio of 1 share of Orchard Supply for approximately every 22 of Sears, and Sears’ 80% ownership in Orchard Supply, this would seem to [...]



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Should You Bite The Preferred Apple From Orchard?

Whopper Investments asks the question we’ve been puzzling over: What is the purpose of the preferred stock being issued to Sears(SHLD) shareholders as part of the Orchard Supply(OSH) spinoff? We’ve previously written in general terms about the spinoff here, but haven’t much discussed the prospects of the securities that will be distributed.  Sears has its [...]



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Sears Is Ready To Harvest The Orchard

Much like Halloween, the end of the year is also shaping up to be an extremely busy period for spinoffs. The latest to join the party is Sears Holding (SHLD) whose board of directors approved the spin offof Orchard Supply Hardware Stores earlier this week. The spinoff will take place on December 30 to shareholders [...]