J.C. Penney Company, Inc. (JCP) Burns Some Analysts

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Spring cleaning means more than dusting and vacuuming.  Spring cleaning is synonymous with shopping!

And you might just want to start your spring shopping at the The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD).

Home Depot is preparing for the onslaught of DIY-ers by hiring 80,000 additional workers this season, just ready to help you clean up from winter. BMO Capital analyst Wayne Hood is also getting ready for a possible rise in Home Depot’s stock, recommending BUY The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD). BMO said, “cost trends are strong and sales are tracking above plan in areas that were not affected by bad weather.” With the housing market showing signs of improvement, and with encouraging warm weather, HD might just see this rise.

Wayne has a history recommending consumer product stocks such as J.C. Penney Company, Inc. (NYSE:JCP) and Dicks Sporting Goods Inc (NYSE:DKS), which have earned him high returns. His recommendations have helped land him a +4.2% average return over S&P-500 and a 69% success rate of recommendations. To see all of Wayne’s past recommendations, download TipRanks.

J.C. Penney

In January of this year, Wayne recommended SELL J.C. Penney Company, Inc. (NYSE:JCP) after analyzing the holiday season. Wayne argued, “we see the company having access to adequate liquidity into FY2014, but still see EPS losses on a very leveraged balance sheet in to the foreseeable future.” Wayne set a $7 price target and ended up earning +22.5% over S&P 500 (INDEXSP:.INX).

Wayne also saw a similar return when he recommended SELL J.C. Penney Company, Inc. (NYSE:JCP) in January of 2012, when the company announced a major overhaul. J.C. Penney management said they would change their popular discounting policies and the layout of their stores. However, Wayne noted that the new plan “raises significant risks that come with such major overhauls.” Wayne earned +19.4% over S&P-500.

Even with such large returns, the volatile J.C. Penney Company, Inc. (NYSE:JCP) stock has also left Wayne with a few losses. After J.C. Penney stock stuck around its 52-week low in March of last year, Wayne downgraded the stock from HOLD to SELL and reduced his price target from $18 to $12. Wayne envisioned several outcomes, including a positive turnaround, but also a possibility where the company, “posts moderate losses over the next five years,” or even J.C. Penney filing for bankruptcy in the first or second quarter of 2014. Wayne ended up with -16.2% over S&P-500, but just after closing this recommendation, his next SELL J.C. Penney recommendation, in May of 2013, earned him +25.3% over S&P-500.

Wayne has also had success recommending sporting goods store Dicks Sporting Goods Inc (NYSE:DKS). Wayne advised SELL Dicks Sporting Goods in November of 2013 with a $46 price target, seeing “uninspiring growth for the company in the near term.” Wayne earned +9.1% over S&P-500.

Wayne even saw a high return from his Family Dollar Stores, Inc. (NYSE:FDO) recommendation in January 2012. The appealing discounts and bargain buys at Family Dollar were appealing to many shoppers in the weak economy. Wayne rated the company with a BUY rating, saying, “the company still has long-term potential to grow its sales and expand margins through better sourcing, expense control and increased store brand sales and remain attractively priced.” This recommendation earned Wayne +17.6% over S&P-500.

With gardens about to bloom, will you be adding HD to your portfolio based on Wayne’s advice? To continue following Wayne as spring cleaning and shopping get underway, download TipRanks, and start making informed financial decisions with advice you can trust.

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