Monday, August 6, 2012

"Wal-Mart Shares at All-Time Highs: Will the Rally Continue?" (WMT)

The big dog of retail didn't hit a new high today but we figure it will continue to do so.
FOR THE NEXT DECADE.*
Chart forWal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT)
Look at that stretch from Dec. 31, 1999 to last month.That is one of the longest bases I've seen in a lifetime at the market.
Currently down 13 cents at $74.42.

From MarketBeat:
As Wal-Mart shares keep hitting record highs, Stifel Nicolaus says the stock will only head higher.
The firm upgrades Wal-Mart to buy from hold and sets an $83 price target on the retail giant, the highest estimate among Wall-Street analysts, according to FactSet. The upgrade comes ahead of Wal-Mart’s quarterly report, expected next week.

Wal-Mart shares were recently flat at $74.55. After more than a decade of trading around $50, shares are up 25% this year and last month hit fresh all-time highs....MUCH MORE
...Stifel’s Schick says Wal-Mart is in line to benefit from pressures on consumer confidence that are expected through the second half of the year. ”We see Wal-Mart as election and fiscal cliff resistant,” he says. Along with the potential for inflation amid surging corn prices, “this stagflation scenario…is the kind of environment which Wal-Mart thrives.”...
That's about as topical as you can get: fiscal cliff, corn prices, the only thing missing are the death struggles of competitors Supervalue and Best Buy.
The writer gets to them later in the post.

*Previously:
Too Funny: WalMart Upgraded by Deutsche Bank (WMT)
Wal*Mart Approaching All-time High (WMT)
The Wal*Mart Breakout Appears to Be For Real (WMT)
Anyone Who Has EVER Bought Wal*Mart is Profitable (WMT)
 Breakout! "Wal-Mart Shares Jump As Broad Market Struggles" (WMT)
Say What You Will About Wal*Mart (WMT) 
Watch Out Amazon: "Facebook, Wal-Mart chiefs meet to "deepen" relationship" (FB; WMT; AMZN)
...I've mentioned that the 12 1/2 year base that WMT stock built before breaking above the Dec. 31, 1999 all-time closing high ($70.25) implied something on the order of a ten-fold up-move over the next decade.

I've also mentioned that I have no clue what kind of corporate developments could justify a $2.5 trillion market cap, although I guessed selling produce in the stores wouldn't be enough.

This may be part of the answer....