RE: Earnings will Suck for MarchI beg to differ with this opinion. If we make an appeal to the actual facts rather then a prophetic opinion then we can come to a logical answer seperated from personal opinions. The same store sales at Wal Mart have been ever increasing through this whole recessionary period. In fact last month same store sales at WalMart surged 5.2% while most other retailers suffered negative same store sales. This was more then double the analysts' consensus of 2.4% for WalMarts same store sales. The analysts now expect Walmarts March same store sales to grow another 3.2%. Added to this argument is also the recent upping of the dividend by 15% to $1.09 a share. This shows the stability that management senses in its operations. This would seem to add evidence to the fact that Walmart is anything but weakening in this current climate. I invested in this company almost two years ago because I knew the fundamentals were looking very good if we were to enter a recession, which we did. I at this point do not see how the fundamentals of WalMart have weakened, rather to the contrary I feel they are as solid or more solid then before. Main street has along ways to go before recovery with many people left with very little monthly cash flow, loss of homes,jobs,etc.. They depend and will continue to depend on discount retailers like WalMart to survive, feed, and clothe thier families. Plus WalMart has managed to gain large market share as general populous trade down from higher end retailers to preserve thier capital and manage costs. People tend to be creatures of habit and when they experience the ease of the one stop shop that WalMart offers it no doubt will lead to these ones coming back in the doors. As for the opinion of Easter shifting from March to April, I really fail to see how this will be of such magnitude to sales and far less shocking any market. I don't think you could shock this market any further then what we have been through over the last year. Plus Easter is not necessarly a key holiday for big sales, but rather that would be Christmas season. This is definately a discount retailer environment and what better one to own then the number on discout retailer in the world. Now is the time to add sector leading good solid outstanding companies at firesale prices to ones portfolio.
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