"New York fines Bill Gates for defacing public property." Now there's a headline few could have predicted.
In a $300 million ad campaign to promote Microsoft's
The company may have to wait for court approval of its landmark antitrust settlement with the government, however, before it can afford to pay the ticket.
In today's Motley Fool Take:
- Starbucks' Hot Plans
- Quote of Note
- The Future of Stock Analysts
- Shameless Plug: Get More From Your Savings
- Dot-Com Survivors
- Discussion Board of the Day: Amazon
- Quick Takes: Cigna, Ford, Lockheed Martin, Carnival, more
- And Finally...
Starbucks' Hot Plans
Looking at Starbucks
The purveyor of all things coffee has had a blistering year and doesn't intend to slow down soon.
At its biennial analyst and investor conference yesterday, the company said fiscal fourth-quarter earnings will be $0.15 a share, higher by a penny than its own estimate but in line with Street expectations. That puts year-end earnings at $0.55, excluding one-time items, and $0.54 including them.
For fiscal 2003, it anticipates earning between $0.65 and $0.66 a share. That would be right in keeping with its projected earnings-per-share annual growth target of 20% to 25%. It also plans to keep growing annual revenues at a 20% clip.
How on earth does it plan to maintain this growth? Well, let's put it this way -- if you think there are a lot of Starbucks now, just wait. You ain't seen nothin' yet.
Starbucks has said it eventually plans to have 25,000 locations worldwide, and it's sticking to it. That's a 5,000-store increase from its projection just two years ago. Clearly, it sees an expanding market, as it continues to plop down locations in places as disparate as China, Greece, and Mexico. One day, it hopes to have 15,000 overseas locations.
And the growth won't only happen abroad. The company says it has set up shop in only 150 of the largest 300 American markets. It's not leaving out the little guys, either, as it intends to add stores in rural areas. Getting a local Starbucks appears to be an equal-opportunity proposition.
Currently, there are over 5,000 Starbucks scattered across the globe. The company plans to open 1,200 in fiscal 2003 and 10,000 by the end of fiscal 2005 -- in 60 countries. That's absolutely intoxicating growth -- if the company can pull it off.
Starbucks hasn't disappointed the Street in recent memory, outside of that Internet foolishness a few years ago. Its stock has almost always traded at a P/E above its anticipated earnings growth rate, a premium investors keep paying for -- currently a hefty 45 times earnings. To maintain this in the future, it will be critical for the company to grow smartly and keep costs in check. This will be much more challenging with a monstrous store base, but Starbucks isn't known for backing down from challenges, and it's certainly not known for failing.
Quote of Note
"Coffee should be black as hell, strong as death, and as sweet as love." -- Turkish proverb
The Future of Stock Analysts
Last week, we told you that many major Wall Street firms were open to the idea of eliminating their ludicrous stock rating systems. In return, the companies -- such as Merrill Lynch
The beginning of the end came when New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer obtained internal emails showing Merrill analysts praised certain stocks publicly while denigrating them privately. Spitzer forced a settlement, but other regulatory agencies are still conducting their own industry-wide investigations.
If stock ratings disappear, what's the alternative? One suggestion, proposed by Spitzer, calls for the creation of a research consortium from which all firms could draw. But The Washington Postsays the idea has been met by "strong objections," especially from companies that would have to contribute funding even though they'd have little need for the group's research.
As the various parties continue to negotiate at SEC headquarters in New York, the most likely solution, at this point, would have the firms buy research from independent companies, which they could then distribute to clients as they wished. That would not only eliminate conflicts of interest, but also likely raise the level of research available, since only the best analysts would survive in the long run.
No matter which solution is finally agreed upon, the Post says each brokerage would likely retain its own in-house research team -- if only to advise the investment-banking department. Whatever happens, we'll be happy to say goodbye to the world of "buy," "sell," and "hold," along with the conflicts of interest it generates.
Shameless Plug: Get More From Your Savings
You can't put all your money in the stock market. Sometimes you need a safe, guaranteed return. So what are your options? Our Short-Term Savings Center can help you figure out how much you need to save, where to put it, and where to get the best interest rates. There's even some special yields for Fools.
Dot-Com Survivors
Have you noticed something different about the Internet stocks that survived the dot-com bubble?
Last night, Amazon
The Internet sector has logged more hits than the Anaheim Angels lately, with Amazon's shares nearly tripling over the past year. Yahoo! and AOL Time Warner
What gives? Like a cheesy B-movie, are these the horrific beasts that can't be killed? A couple of years ago, dot-com upstarts sucked down venture capital like plasma, and it bled out of their collective pores for a while. Now they seem to be self-sustaining, profitable survivors, with the intriguing distinction of hitting Wall Street numbers out of the ballpark at a time when many other sectors are striking out.
Ironic, ain't it?
Somewhere out there, eToys and Webvan are kicking themselves. If only they could've outlived the hype, maybe -- just maybe -- they would be giants walking through the ruins today. They banked on a never-ending supply of subsidies without ever formulating a workable operating model.
The Internet is a viable business format now, and those left standing are doing so unassisted. Pity the carnage.
Discussion Board of the Day: Amazon
What did you think of Rule Breaker Amazon's earnings yesterday? Have the recent stock gains been warranted? What's up with that gold treasure chest on the site, anyway? All this and more -- in the Amazon discussion board. Only on Fool.com.
Quick Takes
It appears a divided SEC is set to name former FBI chief William Webster to head the newly formed national oversight board. That agency will regulate the accounting industry in the wake of various corporate scandals that have rocked Wall Street over the past year. The three Republican members of the SEC selection panel are backing Webster, but the two Democrats bitterly oppose him because of his ties to the accounting profession. SEC Chairman Harvey Pitt has been the subject of withering criticism after he apparently withdrew support for front-runner John Biggs, allegedly because of pressure from the accounting industry.
Shares of Cigna
Saying it has "concerns about the adequacy of restructuring measures being implemented... to restore the competitiveness of its core automotive operations," Standard & Poor's today cut Ford's
Lockheed Martin
It looks like Carnival
And Finally...
Today on Fool.com: Bill Mann says the American economy would benefit from more bankruptcies.... In our Tax Center, read why you may not have to file a separate form for interest and dividend income.... In Fool's School, should you buy a new or used car?... And the Post of the Day: Apple.
Contributors:
Bob Bobala, Robert Brokamp, Tom Jacobs, LouAnn Lofton, Bill Mann, Selena Maranjian, Rex Moore, Rick Munarriz, Matt Richey, Jackie Ross, Reggie Santiago, Dayana Yochim