TheStreet Search RSS Feed: Miriam Reimer

Consumer Stock Takeovers: Deals and Targets

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:22:17 EDT

(Consumer stock takeover report updated with details about Unilever's acquisition of Russia-based Concern Kalina.) NEW YORK (TheStreet) - Unilever is set to acquire Russian cosmetic maker Concern Kalina, underscoring a growing trend of corporate deal-making in the consumer stock sector.

M&A activity in the U.S. was up more than 40% year over year in the first half of 2011, and the second half of the year already has seen its share of deals.

Unilever announced Oct. 14 it would acquire 82% of Kalina as it looks to grow its footprint in the "high-growth" emerging market with a "leading position in skin care in Russia." ...

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Mattel Sales Beat, Profit Meets

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 08:29:40 EDT

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (TheStreet) -- Mattel beat quarterly revenue expectations but earnings were in-line as higher material costs pressured margins.

Mattel said early Friday that strong sales of its iconic Barbie dolls helped it increase third-quarter sales by 9% to $2 billion, thanks in part to favorable foreign exchange rates. >> 18 Hottest Toys of 2011 ...

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DineEquity Sells 17 Applebee's Restaurants

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:39:08 EDT

GLENDALE, Calif. (TheStreet) -- DineEquity agreed to sell 17 company-operated Applebee's restaurants as part of its ongoing effort to turn around the bar-and-grill chain through refranchising and other methods.

DineEquity, the parent company of Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar and IHOP restaurant chains, said Thursday it would sell the 17 restaurants in the mid-South region to Apple Investors Group for $15.9 million.

Apple Investors already own and operate 27 Applebee's restaurants in New Mexico and Virginia. ...

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Zep's Profit Wiped Out by Charges

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 08:57:51 EDT

ATLANTA (TheStreet) -- Zep's fiscal fourth-quarter earnings nearly doubled, but adjusted for restructuring charges profit fell far short of expectations.

Zep, the maker of cleaning and maintenance chemicals such as ArmorAll glass and car cleaners, said early Thursday that net income surged 92.7% to $4.1 million, or 18 cents a share, from $2.1 million, or 9 cents, in the year-earlier period.

Adjusted for restructuring charges, Zep's profit came in at $5.3 million, or 24 cents a share, missing analysts' consensus for earnings of 37 cents. ...

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Price Increases Help Pepsi Pop

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:40:45 EDT

PURCHASE, N.Y. (TheStreet) -- PepsiCo's third-quarter earnings beat showed the beverage and snack maker has been successful in passing on higher costs to consumers.

Standard & Poor's analyst Esther Kwon was encouraged by the company's reiteration of its 2011 earnings guidance, particularly as the boost from foreign exchange was less robust. Kwon maintained a buy rating on the stock but cut her price target by $1 to $70. >> Consumer Stock Takeovers: Deals and Targets ...

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Pepsi's Costs May Put a Cap on Profit

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 13:00:42 EDT

PURCHASE, N.Y. (TheStreet) -- When PepsiCo reports quarterly earnings Wednesday, investors will pay close attention to word from the beverage and snack company on consumer demand and pricing.

Analysts expect Pepsi to have earned a profit of $2.08 billion, or $1.30 a share, in its fiscal third quarter ended Sept. 30, up 9.5% from $1.9 billion, or an adjusted $1.22 a share, earned in the year-earlier quarter. Revenue is expected to have grown 10.9% to $17.19 billion from $15.5 billion. Pepsi's report is due ahead of the opening bell Wednesday. ...

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Apple, Google, RIMM: Kodak's Patent Buyers?

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 13:10:49 EDT

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (TheStreet) -- Apple, Google, HTC and Research In Motion are among the potential bidders for Eastman Kodak's lucrative trove of digital imaging patents, according to patent expert Alexander Poltorak.

Kodak has struggled to gain momentum in its digital camera business as its printing business flailed, but its digital-imaging patents could be worth far more than the 131-year-old camera and imaging company itself , fetching as much as $3 billion, according to some analysts. Reports surfaced last month that Kodak was working to sell off its patents. >> Kodak Patents Could Paint Profitable Picture ...

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Green Mountain Set to Scale Steeper Heights

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 08:56:09 EDT

WATERBURY, Vt. (TheStreet) -- Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is poised to continue its steep ascent with a 30% upside in stock price, according to one analyst.

Cannacord Genuity analyst Scott Van Winkle reiterated his buy rating on Green Mountain shares and $120 price target ahead of the Vermont coffee maker's fourth-quarter earnings, due to be released on Oct. 26, according to Yahoo's earnings calendar. ...

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Home Ownership Drops but Still High

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:48:55 EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Data released by the U.S. Census Bureau Thursday showed the largest decrease in home ownership since the Great Depression from 2000 to 2010, though the overall rate remained the second highest on record.

Behind the year 2000, home ownership in 2010 was at its highest rate since home ownership data collection began in 1890. Despite the still-high rate of Americans owning their own homes, the rate actually decreased by 1.1 percentage points to 65.1% over the decade between 2000 and 2010, the largest drop since the 10 years between 1930 and 1940. >> Mortgage Rates at Yet Another New Low ...

Mortgage Rates at Yet Another New Low

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 12:06:47 EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Mortgage rates for 30-year fixed home loans fell below 4% last week to their lowest level on record, Freddie Mac said Thursday.

Rates fell to 3.94% in the past week, down from 4.01%, Freddie Mac said. That's the lowest rate since Freddie Mac began keeping records in 1971. ...

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Home Prices Will Slide in 2012's First Quarter: Report

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 11:36:46 EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) - Home prices are expected to drop 1.6% in the fourth quarter of 2011, and fall another 3.2% in the first quarter of 2012, according to Clear Capital's home data index.

Current year-over-year home prices remain 3.8% lower, the report showed, though September did show gains, particularly in the Midwest region of the country where housing prices gained 7.2% last month. >> 14 REITs Increasing Dividends Annually ...

Marriott Posts Loss; Room Revenue Jumps

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 17:27:12 EDT

BETHESDA, Md. (TheStreet) -- Marriott International disappointed investors with a surprise third-quarter loss because of charges to its timeshare operations, though adjusted earnings beat expectations and a key industry metric of room revenue saw a big jump.

Marriott booked a net loss of $179 million, or 52 cents per share, for the quarter, compared with a year-earlier profit of $83 million, or 22 cents per share. ...

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Friendly's Ice Cream Files for Bankruptcy

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 16:16:18 EDT

WILBRAHAM, Mass. (TheStreet) -- Friendly's Ice Cream chain filed for bankruptcy on Wednesday, but will keep most of its restaurants open while closing a number of its weaker performing locations.

Following in the footsteps of other casual dining chains like Sbarro, Real Mex Restaurants , Perkins & Marie Callenders, Fuddruckers and Charlie Brown's Steakhouse, Friendly's suffered sluggish traffic and sales as a still-tight economy kept consumers opting to dine in instead of out, or trading down to lower-priced establishments. >> Bankruptcy Watch: 14 Risky Restaurant Stocks ...

As Kodak Seeks to Shore Up Financials, Stock Remains Volatile

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 09:23:12 EDT

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (TheStreet) -- Eastman Kodak's shares continued to trade with heavy volatility as the imaging company explores ways to shore up its financials.

Kodak's stock has swung wildly in recent sessions amid unusually heavy trading, falling sharply on Friday to well below $1 a share after The Wall Street Journal reported that Kodak had hired Jones Day for restructuring advice. ...

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Yum! Sales Top View on China Strength

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 17:22:53 EDT

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (TheStreet) --Yum! Brands met quarterly profit expectations on Tuesday as continued strong performance in China drove year-over-year revenue growth of more than 14%.

The parent company of Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut said late Tuesday it earned $383 million, or 80 cents per share, in its fiscal third quarter, up 7.3% from a year-earlier profit of $357 million, or 74 cents a share. Excluding one-time items, earnings came in at 83 cents per share, in line with analysts' consensus call. Analysts typically exclude one-time items when forecasting earnings estimates. >> 15 Food Companies That Serve You 'Wood' ...

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