A humorous look at the companies that caught our eye, for better or worse, this week.
BlackBerry Co.
BB (TSX)
Nov. 21, 2014 close: $11.52
down $1.12 or 8.9% over week
Favourite pastimes for Canadian masochists:
1) Watching the Leafs;
2) Listening to Justin Bieber;
3) Investing in BlackBerry.
Shares of the smartphone maker sank after Morgan Stanley analyst James Faucette downgraded the stock to “underweight” from “equal weight,” saying the market is “too optimistic” about BlackBerry’s potential revenue from software and instant messaging. Dropping an anvil on your toe was never this much fun.
Target
TGT (NYSE)
Nov. 21, 2014 close: $71.51 (U.S.)
up $3.38 or 5% over week
After all the challenges Target has faced – from the troubled Canadian launch to a massive credit card breach – it doesn’t take much to get investors excited. The shares jumped after the retailer posted a 3.1-per-cent gain in third-quarter profit as same-store U.S. sales rose 1.2 per cent. Unfortunately, the number of customer transactions fell for the eighth consecutive month, but investors apparently didn’t read that far down in the press release.
La-Z-Boy
LZB (NYSE)
Nov. 21, 2014 close: $25.44 (U.S.)
up $2.16 or 9.3% over week
Money-making tip No. 347: When visiting a friend or relative who owns a La-Z-Boy recliner, make sure to check under the cushion for loose change. Alternatively, consider investing in La-Z-Boy stock: With U.S. consumers opening their wallets wider, the furniture maker posted better-than-expected sales and earnings for its fiscal second quarter and hiked its dividend. Investors are kicking back and enjoying the massage and heat options.
PetSmart
PETM (Nasdaq)
Nov. 21, 2014 close: $78.70 (U.S.)
up $5.86 or 8% over week
Pet care dos and don’ts:
Don’t make your dog walk to the park.
Do push your dog in a fashionable $199.99 (U.S.) Wacky Paws Luxury Pet Stroller from PetSmart. With the economy improving and gas prices falling, consumers have more money to pamper their four-legged friends, and PetSmart is cashing in. With third-quarter sales and earnings topping expectations, the stock is sitting up on its hind legs.
DreamWorks Animation
DWA (Nasdaq)
Nov. 21, 2014 close: $22.68
down $3.34 or 12.8% over week
The romance between Shrek and My Little Pony is over. Merger talks involving movie studio DreamWorks Animation and toy maker Hasbro fell through, in part because Hasbro’s shares took a big hit after the discussions were reported in the media. Analysts’ uncharitable comments – “This combination makes no sense to us at all,” said one – certainly didn’t help the merger’s cause.