Staples CEO Doesn't See Another Recession
September 07 2011 - 9:58AM
Dow Jones News
Staples Inc. (SPLS) Chief Executive Ron Sargent said the U.S.
economy remains in "purgatory," but the threat of another recession
is low.
Sargent, speaking at the Goldman Sachs retail conference in New
York, described the back-to-school season as "OK," and neither
"robust" nor "a downer." Smaller rival OfficeMax Inc. (OMX), which
will present at the conference later Wednesday morning, earlier
Wednesday said its back-to-school season was "soft," and it now
expects current quarter sales to be slightly lower than the
year-ago period. Office Depot Inc. (ODP), also a presenter later
Wednesday, separately said its third quarter will see
comparable-store sales fall but margins improve, the result of
eliminating popular but lower margin products like entry level
laptop computers.
Staples didn't provide new guidance for its fiscal third
quarter, and Sargent said he continues to expect earnings for the
fiscal year to grow 10% to 15% over last year.
Staples' dividend yield of 2.9% is attractive at the stock's
current prices, with shares at $13.63, which is down 27% over the
past year. Sargent said it expects to raise the dividend in line
with earnings and, at current prices, share repurchases might be
the "best investment" it can make with its free cash flow.
Addressing competition from Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) and its
cut-throat pricing, Staples said its rewards programs, with 10% and
15% discounts, make its prices for popular printer ink and toner
cartridges competitive, but noted that price cuts may be in
order.
Staples still has room to grow its store base, the executive
said, despite what many see as an office-supply sector suffering
from a glut of retail locations. It doesn't have stores in markets
like St. Louis, Buffalo, N.Y., Memphis, Tenn. and New Orleans, he
said, but it will some day.
-By Maxwell Murphy, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2171;
maxwell.murphy@dowjones.com
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