Sears Holding Corp (NASDAQ:SHLD) has managed to partially pull back the selloff in its shares by reassuring investors that it can meet its financial obligations. The retail chain posted a statement on its website today after it was reported that a vendor had halted shipments because of worries about its cash position.
Sears: we have “significant financial flexibility”
The blog post was fairly short, but it did attempt to reassure Wall Street that it has plenty of cash available to meet its obligations and also perform its transformation. Sears did not say whether a vendor had indeed stopped sending shipments, however, a spokesperson for the retail chain told MoneyBeat that they’ve had “no material interruptions in the flow of goods” into their stores.
Bloomberg reported today that three of the largest insurance companies that cover Sears Holding Corp (NASDAQ:SHLD)’s suppliers wanted to cut coverage, which was why at least one of those vendors was said to have stopped shipments.
Sears defends itself
Sears offered a list of reasons that investors shouldn’t worry about its future. The retail chain said it will get up to $380 million in proceeds from the offering of its Sears Canada rights. They’re expecting to receive at least $168 million of that by Oct. 20. The company also listed the $500 million dividend it received for the spinoff of Lands’ End, $165 million in real estate sales and a short term loan of $400 million.
In addition, the company said it is still meeting all of its obligations, including paying suppliers and vendors. Sears said it currently has early $6.5 billion in inventory in all of its stores and that they remain “well stocked” and have a “regular flow of goods.” Further, the retail chain said it deals directly with its vendors because it has the financial resources to do that.
On the issue of vendor insurance, they said insurance providers have never had to pay any claims to vendors in connection with Sears Holding Corp (NASDAQ:SHLD)’s business. The chain also said it continues to work on enhancing its “financial flexibility.”
