(99 Percent) Profit Plunge Slams Sears

The Street.com ^ | November 29, 2007 | Nat Worden

[Zakeet]

Shares of Sears Holdings dropped below the $100 mark on Thursday for the first time in their two-and-a-half year existence after the company reported disastrous third-quarter results that suggest its days as a retailer could be numbered.

Fans of the company's chairman, Greenwich, Conn., hedge fund manager Ed Lampert, say that Sears may be a dying retailer, but it's cash can be invested elsewhere by a value-investing genius. Others say the path to riches at Sears lies in the hidden value of its real estate, which guarantees upside in the stock -- even in the event of a liquidation.

With shares of Sears down nearly 50% from their April all-time highs, such convictions are looking increasingly precarious as the U.S. housing bust threatens to plunge the economy into a recession. The company's cash flow is dwindling as its profitability sinks, and real estate values are mired in a cloud of uncertainty.

[Zakeet]

Too bad. Time was when they were an outstanding company.

[Question Liberal Authority]

What the heck is a “Sears”?

[DungeonMaster]

Ha ha.

Sears sucks.

[Red Badger]

Solid as Sears?............not any more........

[Red Badger]

Sears what you say when you counts.:

Sears 1, sears 2, sears 3 mo.........

[trumandogz]

Sears is an anachronism.

[rocksblues]

Others say the path to riches at Sears lies in the hidden value of its real estate, which guarantees upside in the stock -- even in the event of a liquidation.

Think Vornado, Curtiss Wright corp.

[Ann Archy]

Do they own LL BEAN?

[ConorMacNessa]

Another icon of my youth about to bite the dust!

[NY.SS-Bar9]

I guess merging with that retail icon “Kmart” wasn’t such a good idea.

[griswold3]

Sears is a great company.
Sears supports our troops. We support Sears!

[Mark was here]

Anyone who trusts this management after it told the original Kmart stockholder their stock was toilet paper and they could buy new Kmart stock, is silly.

[Red6]

The markets overreact.

A small dip or less than expected profits often equate to 33% drop in share values. Does that really make sense? No.

[Hardastarboard]

Sears has had the “reverse Midas touch” for years. Look at what they did to KMart and Sportmart, to name a couple of stores that I can name off the top of my head.

[aroundabout]

Why is everyone down on Sears? Hell I’m getting ready to buy $3800 worth of appliances from them. I checked prices for what I want, they are the best AND have a greater selection then many others.

[DejaJude]

Meanwhile, there's no sign that Lampert has another blockbuster acquisition in store for the company that could get its shares moving again the way his 2005 purchase of Sears Roebuck with Kmart stoked exuberance on Wall Street back in his high-flying days at the height of the housing bubble.

This is the reason I stopped shopping at Sears. They started selling cheap Kmart stuff at Sears prices.

[the_devils_advocate_666]

Better hurry up and use up my gift cards.

[Steve_Seattle]

Whenever I go into my local Sears, it’s like walking into a dead zone. I’ve been expecting it to go out of business for the last ten years.

[pabianice]

Craftsman Tools really are the best.

[Steve_Seattle]

Appliances are about the only thing I buy at Sears. When I look at their clothing department, I think that Seinfeld’s Kramer must be their buyer.