| PAST TOP PICK | 24.990 | Bill Carrigan | (A Top Pick July 30/07. Down 15%.) Had thought the parent company would be taking it over. Had a bottom in January and a higher low in June so it is starting to look good again. | 2008-07-03 | |
| DON'T BUY | 19.000 | Norman Levine | Retailing is not a great place to be in North America right now. Consumer is pulling back. Have had some difficulty operationally. Hasn't been a well-run company. Takeover bid did not go through and could be a while before it happens. The US operations are also in trouble. | 2008-02-11 | |
| DON'T BUY | 24.650 | Benj Gallander | Too expensive for his style. Not a contrarian play. | 2007-12-24 | |
| TOP PICK | 30.100 | Bill Carrigan | With last week's sell off, he ran a filter for volume increase and a close above the prior week's low. The chart shows a great pattern. It's long and sideways and it looks like it's trying to break through to new highs. | 2007-07-30 | |
| HOLD | 27.200 | Norman Levine | Sold their financing division and paid the proceeds to their shareholders. Their US parent has been trying to buy up the rest of this company at a lower price than the market. Wait for a higher bid from Sears in the US. | 2007-01-09 | |
| DON'T BUY | 20.890 | Paul Harris, CFA | If there is a slowdown in the economy, retail will not do as well. Same stores sales are sort of sliding. | 2006-08-15 | |
| HOLD | 18.500 | Laura Wallace | It will be tough to get a higher price. Would be tempted to hold shares back and tender them at the last minute. Upside will not be great. | 2006-04-06 | |
| HOLD | 17.510 | David Baskin | Sears is the last Canadian department store. (The Bay is no longer a Canadian company as it was being sold today). Hold if you own, don't tender, it may go up another 50 cents to a dollar. | 2006-02-28 | |
| SELL | 18.040 | Gordon Higgins, CA, MBA, CFA | Sears parent company wants to buy out Sears Canada. It is best to sell at $18.00 and walk away. | 2006-02-21 | |
| DON'T BUY | 18.070 | Laura Wallace | Really speculative here. There are better places to put your money. | 2005-12-12 | |
| WATCH | 36.450 | Jim Huang | Its US parent has made a bid for it. At the current level, it is fairly valued. | 2005-12-06 | |
| WAIT | 36.350 | Norman Levine | The US parent is looking to take over outstanding shares. This was inevitable. If you own, wait until the committee decides if it is a good value. The department store business is a bad business to be in. | 2005-12-05 | |
| SELL | 34.150 | Jonathen Wellum, B. Comm, B. Sc | Going through a big change because of its partner in the US. They have stripped the balance sheet of cash. | 2005-12-02 | |
| DON'T BUY | 32.050 | Gavin Graham | Sold its credit card holdings which was its major driver of profit. Now that this is gone, it is not expected that they will do that well with retailing goods. | 2005-10-31 | |
| SELL | 32.200 | Norman Levine | Will be paying a special dividend. As soon as the dividend is paid, the stock will go x-dividend and drop at least as mush as what the dividend would have been. Have sold off their finance unit and so is now just a department store that hasn't been that well run. | 2005-09-20 | |
| SELL | 33.500 | David Baskin | To use the proceeds from the sale of their credit card business to issue a special dividend. Would sell the shares as he believes tax treatment will be better on the capital gains than on the special dividend. (If you are in an RRSP, it will make no difference.) | 2005-09-19 | |
| HOLD | 30.000 | Ron Meisels | Took a big jump on their sale of their credit and financial services. The danger when you have a big huge jump, is whether or not it's a true move. If you own, you should take some profit. | 2005-08-31 | |
| DON'T BUY | 23.780 | Gavin Graham | Up over 47% over the last year. Will either be taken over by its US parent or they will sell it off to a 3rd party. Have sold off their credit card operation. Most of the good news has already been priced into the stock. | 2005-08-08 | |
| DON'T BUY | 24.550 | Veronika Hirsch | Market has priced the fundamentals correctly based on her valuations and assuming they sell their credit card division. The question is, will Sears US buy the company. Can't see much upside. | 2005-07-27 | |
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| HOLD | 20.900 | Brian Acker, CA | Has a model price of $22.66. About an 8% differential. Finding more value elsewhere, but there is value in this stock. | 2005-06-09 | |
| DON'T BUY | 20.850 | Norman Levine | Retailing in Canada has been a tough nut to slug. Department stores have been losing market share. Sales have been fairly stagnant. Would rather own a Canadian Tire (CTR-T) or Reitmans (RET-T). | 2005-05-25 | |
| DON'T BUY | 23.350 | David Baskin | Would put it halfway between Canadian Tire (CTR-T) and a Hudson Bay (HBC-T). It's a little lower end than a Hudson Bay but higher than Canadian Tire and its performance is also halfway between. Not attracted to it as a retail idea. The whole department store concept is kind of tired. | 2005-04-11 | |
| DON'T BUY | 22.000 | David Baskin | Will be unexciting. The whole North American department store sector seems to be unable to gather a lot of traction. The trend seems to be towards big box retailer in the lower end of the market and towards more boutique at the higher end. This also applies to Hudson Bay (HBC-T). | 2005-03-29 | |
| SELL | 20.400 | Peter Brieger | It has run up soley on speculation of a takeover by Sears in the US. Have lowered their guidance, so it's overpriced relative to their peers. | 2005-02-24 | |
| DON'T BUY | 19.850 | Gordon Higgins, CA, MBA, CFA | The big issue with big retailers is sales. Are they going to have the right trends, too much inventory. When you start seeing big discounts, end of season sales, it indicates too much merchandise left over. With margins of only 10%, it can have a big impact. Trading at 14 X earnings. | 2005-02-09 | |
| DON'T BUY | 16.610 | David Burrows | If a retailer can't perform well coming into the Christmas season, you have to be very careful. | 2004-12-21 | |
| BUY | 16.500 | Larry Berman CFA, CMT, CTA | Has been under pressure because of tax loss selling. Where it is sitting right now, is a long term technical area of support that's very attractive. If it gets below the 52 week low, $15.50 area you have to put stop in. | 2004-12-15 | |
| WEAK BUY | 17.460 | Bruce Campbell | Stock has gotten cheap. Has the potential of being taken over. | 2004-11-15 | |
| TOP PICK | 16.290 | Bruce Campbell | A value and seasonal play. Expectations are low and they will probably have a decent Christmas. For free you may get the possibility that the parent in the US may take them in. Low risk. | 2004-10-05 | |
| DON'T BUY | 16.280 | Gordon Higgins, CA, MBA, CFA | President leaving implies some problems. A highly competitive sector. Would wait to see what their strategy is. | 2004-09-30 | |
| DON'T BUY | 17.090 | Ron Meisels | Has been in a very nice triangulation pattern but is currently below its 200 day moving average. If it has a breakout, that would be wonderful. | 2004-07-14 | |
| DON'T BUY | 17.350 | Norman Levine | Has nothing bad to say about the company, but there's nothing that would make him want to buy it at this price. They're losing market share. | 2004-06-18 | |
| WEAK BUY | 17.550 | David Baskin | A good, solid, Canadian retailer. Cheaper than some of the others. Doesn't have any explosive upside potential. A defensive holding. | 2004-06-02 | |
| BUY | 17.100 | Bruce Campbell | A rumor has been in the marketplace that there would be a takeover by Sears Roebuck and the stock moved up but has now pulled back. Not a bad entry point. | 2004-05-18 | |
| WEAK BUY | 17.750 | Michael Sprung | Fundamentals of company look pretty good. | 2004-03-30 | |
| WEAK BUY | 17.500 | Gavin Graham | Has executed better than Hudson's Bay. Better locations. Primarily a finance company. | 2004-03-04 | |
| VAGUE | 17.420 | Ross Healy | Got hammered on some bad earning numbers. | 2004-02-23 | |
| BUY on WEAKNESS | 17.800 | Bruce Campbell | Dropped because of profit warning before Christmas but has come back somewhat. Would wait for the next Christmas upswing. | 2004-01-27 | |
| WEAK BUY | 17.950 | Ross Healy | FMV around $20. Stiff technical resistance at $24. Would consider at $18. | 2004-01-20 | |
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| DON'T BUY | 17.500 | Ted Macklin | Not a big fan of the retail industry in Canada. One good analyst good upgrade the stock. Believe the consumer is really tapped out. | 2004-01-19 | |
| HOLD | 16.740 | David Taylor, MBA, CFA | A well-run company. | 2004-01-14 | |
| BUY | 15.730 | Brian Acker, CA | Would buy at $14.75. Model price of $23.75. Keep eye on it. Used to own, but it achieved its model price. | 2003-12-24 | |
| DON'T BUY | 15.930 | Peter Brieger | Not enamored with the retail sector, except for the niche areas. Sears going into the banking area will be a positive move. Still thinks the overall malaise will prevail in the retail market. | 2003-12-22 | |
| DON'T BUY | 15.930 | Mike Weir | Could still drop further. The problem with department stores in general is that the public is being drawn to specialty retailers. | 2003-12-22 | |
| BUY | 16.320 | Ross Healy | Fair market value is $23/24. Have had good bounces in the past. Not a bad move | 2003-12-19 | |
| PAST TOP PICK | 16.320 | Larry Berman CFA, CMT, CTA | (A past top pick Sept 15/03. Down 11%.) Sold out early and took a profit. | 2003-12-15 | |
| DON'T BUY | 16.320 | Gavin Graham | Has been disappointing. They take a while before it moves up again. | 2003-12-15 | |
| DON'T BUY | 16.260 | Bruce Campbell | They have given a profit warning. Department stores are having trouble selling apparel. We'll probably go sideways for a while. | 2003-12-12 | |
| BUY | 19.710 | Laura Wallace | A well-run company. Canadian retail market is very tough but thinks Sears is doing better than Hudson Bay and Wal-Mart is not targeting them as much as the Zellers side of Hudson Bay. Should do quite well in an improving economy. | 2003-12-01 | |
| PAST TOP PICK | 19.920 | Bruce Campbell | (A top pick Oct 6/03. Up 6½%.) Still likes. Margins are expanding. | 2003-11-24 | |
| TOP PICK | 18.750 | Bruce Campbell | The best retailer with an upside to a good Christmas. Same store sales have not been impressive, but the margins have done very very well. Would prefer to buy below $18. | 2003-10-06 | |
| TOP PICK | 18.300 | Larry Berman CFA, CMT, CTA | There is a lot of bad news priced into the stock. Near its five-year lows. From the technical perspective, it's making a nice little bottom for a run back up. | 2003-09-15 | |
| BUY | 17.910 | Nereo Piticco | Has an economically sensitive bent in relation to the housing market. | 2003-09-09 | |
| TOP PICK | 17.550 | Bruce Campbell | They are letting low-margin business go.Will probably have $1.52/1.60 in earnings.A compelling valuation. Economically sensitive. | 2003-08-18 | |
| TOP PICK | 16.000 | Bruce Campbell | Margins are expanding. At the $15 range, its 10 X this years earnings and 8 X next years. | 2003-07-21 | |
| DON'T BUY | 17.020 | Mark Jackson, CFA | Has looked OK. Rebranding and re-focusing their stores. Prefers other retails. | 2003-06-10 | |
| DON'T BUY | 16.000 | Ted Macklin | Not bullish on the general retail industry. Restructuring. A good company. Not sure they can get any growth. | 2003-06-04 | |
| WEAK BUY | 16.200 | John Zechner | Won't have huge moves. Getting their costs down through restructuring. Good valuation. | 2003-05-16 | |
| DON'T BUY | 14.580 | Kyle McKay | Only meeting their earnings through cost cutting. Also, Walmart is giving them competition. | 2003-04-16 | |
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| DON'T BUY | 14.570 | Peter Arender, CFA | Valuation is compelling but its momentum is not looking positive. | 2003-04-09 | |
| DON'T BUY | 14.690 | David Baskin | Retail market is affected by Wal-Mart competition. Well managed. | 2003-04-04 | |
| PAST TOP PICK | 18.600 | Brian Dawson | (Was a top pick on Nov 27/01. Down 6%.) Sold out at higher prices. | 2003-01-31 | |
| WEAK BUY | 17.000 | Ray Steele | OK, but prefers Hudson Bay. | 2002-12-20 | |
| WEAK BUY | 17.100 | Robert Floyd | Valuation is reasonably attractive. Modest growth. | 2002-12-18 | |
| BUY | 17.420 | Gavin Graham | Fairly strong numbers. Well positiones. | 2002-12-16 | |
| HOLD | 18.000 | Brian Acker, CA | US retailers are being hit hard and Canadians could follow. If it hits $25, sell. Use Stop Losses. | 2002-10-24 | |
| DON'T BUY | 16.050 | Gavin Graham | 2/3rds of their earnings come from their credt card operations and people are now defaulting, so profits are down. | 2002-10-18 | |
| DON'T BUY | 15.260 | Richard Stone | Be cautious in the retail sector. Good company, but not now. | 2002-10-10 | |
| BUY | 17.000 | Bruce Campbell | Oversold in sympathy with the Bay. Showing good numbers. | 2002-08-15 | |
| TOP PICK | 19.750 | Bruce Campbell | Good leverage to the consumer. Baeting the numbers. | 2002-07-29 | |
| WEAK BUY | 24.450 | Fred Ketchen | Expects a gretaer impact from Walmart. | 2002-05-16 | |
| PAST TOP PICK | 23.260 | Bruce Campbell | (Was a top pick on Jan 28 up 29%) Still likes. Has good leverage to an economic recovery. | 2002-05-13 | |
| TOP PICK | 18.150 | Bruce Campbell | Retailer with the best cyclical upside in Canada. | 2002-01-28 | |
| PAST TOP PICK | 18.800 | Michael Sprung | (Was a top pick on Nov 6 up 29%) Still likes. | 2002-01-17 | |
| DON'T BUY | 16.900 | Mike Weir | Will have a rough time and will have poor profit margins. | 2001-12-20 | |
| DON'T BUY | 17.400 | Steven Wippersteg | Eaton's is costing a lot and sales are down at Sears. | 2001-12-07 | |
| BUY | 16.500 | Vincent Delisle | One of his favourite retailers. Book value is $14. Limited downside. Good price. | 2001-12-05 | |
| TOP PICK | 18.140 | Brian Dawson | (This selection was made based on the cyclical state.) Sears should recover. | 2001-11-27 | |
| DON'T BUY | 17.600 | Jack Cook | Retailing is questionable. Wait to see what sales are like. | 2001-11-22 | |
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| WEAK BUY | 18.850 | Andrew Cook | Cautious on retailers, but should do well. | 2001-11-19 | |
| WAIT | 16.100 | Bruce Campbell | Short term could drop, but long term will be good. Buy at $14. | 2001-11-07 | |
| TOP PICK | 15.300 | Michael Sprung | Below book value. Has restructured inventory. | 2001-11-06 | |
| DON'T BUY | 14.080 | Gavin Graham | Could drop further. Not a fan of retail at this time. | 2001-11-05 | |
| DON'T BUY | 14.330 | Bruce Campbell | At a very good price, but expect a poor Christmas and winter. Buy next summer. | 2001-10-29 | |
| DON'T BUY | 13.400 | Mark Jackson, CFA | Not a fan of retailers at this time. Would prefer US retailers. | 2001-10-09 | |
| DON'T BUY | 16.020 | Nereo Piticco | BV = 15. | 2001-09-10 | |
| DON'T BUY | 17.800 | Fred Ketchen | Forecasting revenue concerns for awhile. Wait for economic upturn. | 2001-09-07 | |
| BUY | 22.750 | Mike Weir | New mngmnt should be good. Economic improvement will make a good difference. | 2001-08-15 | |
| BUY | 23.350 | Arthur Heinmaa | #1 in Canadian retailers. | 2001-08-07 | |
| WEAK BUY | 21.000 | Michael Sprung | Good price now. Buy if you think consumers will buy. | 2001-07-17 | |
| BUY | 20.300 | Gavin Graham | Stock price is good. Good earnings. | 2001-05-09 | |
| DON'T BUY | 20.500 | Steven Wippersteg | Cautious on retail stocks. Consumer confidence is down. Eaton's will cost them money. | 2001-04-23 | |
| DON'T BUY | 20.500 | Richard Stone | Worried about making Eaton's work. Needs more restructuring. | 2001-04-23 | |
| BUY | 20.300 | Gavin Graham | Eaton's is taking a long time to take off but should recover. | 2001-04-20 | |
| BUY | 24.700 | Michael Sprung | Retail is having problems. For long term could be good. | 2001-03-05 | |
| BUY | 24.200 | Malvin Spooner | Retail in Canada is tough. Sears is the best Cdn retailer. Short term they are down. Stock won't rise until the fall. | 2001-02-20 | |
| DON'T BUY | 24.500 | Steven Wippersteg | If economic slowdown is too great, retail will suffer | 2001-02-19 | |
| WAIT | 25.200 | Ted Macklin | Down because of mngmnt changes & delay in Eaton's opening. | 2001-02-16 | |
| BUY | 26.200 | Gavin Graham | Thinks they will do well with lower interest rates. | 2001-02-15 | |
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| HOLD | 21.800 | Brian Dawson | Decent value, but have to see how Eaton's works out | 2001-01-26 | |
Experts that have talked about Sears Canada