All Recent News
FBHS Reports Sales Up, Income Down on Charges
[Friday, February 03, 2012] For the full year 2011, net sales were $3.3 billion, an increase of 3 percent over 2010.
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Unemployment Rate at 8.3%
[Friday, February 03, 2012] Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 243,000 in January, and the unemployment rate decreased to 8.3 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.
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Tractor Supply 2011 Sales +16%
[Thursday, February 02, 2012] Tractor Supply has reported net sales increased 20.1% to $1.24 billion in the fourth quarter of 2011 from $1.03 billion in the prior year's fourth quarter.
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Snap-on 2011 Sales +9%
[Thursday, February 02, 2012] Full year 2011 sales of $2.85 billion increased 9.0% from prior year levels. Full year 2011 net earnings were $276.3 million.
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Central Garden & Pet Q1 Sales +7%
[Thursday, February 02, 2012] The net loss for the quarter was $13.1 million, or $0.27 per fully diluted share, compared with a loss of $9.6 million, or $0.16 per fully diluted share, in the year-ago period. Typically, the Company has reported a loss in its fiscal first quarter given the seasonal nature of the lawn and garden category.
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Arthur Blank Donates $1 Million to The First Tee
[Wednesday, February 01, 2012] Arthur M. Blank, a Home Depot founder and the controlling owner of PGA Superstore, through The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, will donate $1 million to The First Tee, supporting the youth development organization’s goal of reaching 10 million new young people from 2011 to 2017.
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Home Prices Still Declining
[Wednesday, February 01, 2012] Data through November 2011, released yesterday by S&P Indices for its S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, showed declines of 1.3% for both the 10- and 20-City Composites in November over October. For a second consecutive month, 19 of the 20 cities covered by the indices also saw home prices decrease.
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Consumer Confidence Down Slightly in January
[Tuesday, January 31, 2012] The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had increased in December, retreated in January. The Index now stands at 61.1 (1985=100), down from 64.8 in December.
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Home Improvement Industry Stocks +8% YTD
[Monday, January 30, 2012] With many investors expecting a rebound in the home improvement industry at some point during 2012, 25 of the stocks in The Hard Fax composite are up for the year while only three are down.
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GDP Increased 2.8% in Q4
[Friday, January 27, 2012] GDP increased at an annual rate of 2.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011 (that is, from the third quarter to the fourth quarter), according to the "advance" estimate released this morning by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the third quarter, real GDP increased 1.8 percent.
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Newell Rubbermaid Q4 Sales +3.7%
[Friday, January 27, 2012] Net sales for the year ended December 31, 2011 increased 3.6 percent to $5.86 billion, compared with $5.66 billion in the prior year.
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New Home Sales Fell 6% in 2011
[Thursday, January 26, 2012] An estimated 302,000 new homes were sold in 2011. This is 6.2 percent (±3.6%) below the 2010 figure of 323,000.
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Stanley Black & Decker Q4 Sales +17%
[Thursday, January 26, 2012] Net earnings increased to $165.3 million from $137.8 million in the year-ago period.
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Sherwin-Williams Q4 Sales +9.2%
[Thursday, January 26, 2012] Net sales in the Paint Stores Group increased 9.1% to $4.78 billion in the year and increased 13.5% to $1.13 billion in the quarter.
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Remodeling Market Index Rises to Five-Year High
[Thursday, January 26, 2012] In the fourth quarter, the RMI component measuring current market conditions rose to 48.4 from 43.0 in the previous quarter. The RMI component measuring future indicators of remodeling business was also positive, increasing to 44.8 from 40.4 in the previous quarter.
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Manufacturers: State of the Union Needs Action Behind It
[Wednesday, January 25, 2012] “Tonight the President focused on the need to create jobs, shore up our energy security through increased domestic production and revive manufacturing in America. Yet his decision last week to reject the Keystone XL killed the promise of nearly 20,000 manufacturing and construction jobs along with the 118,000 indirect jobs that would ripple across our economy."
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Lowe’s and Social Media Site Houzz Team Up
[Wednesday, January 25, 2012] Lowe's and Houzz, a leading social site for home remodeling and design, announced today a marketing relationship that kicks off with a “Dream Kitchen” sweepstakes - the chance to win a dream kitchen, valued at $50,000.
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Pending Home Sales Eased in December
[Wednesday, January 25, 2012] After reaching a 19-month high, pending home sales eased in December but stayed above year-ago levels, according to the National Association of Realtors.
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Grainger 2011 Sales +12%
[Wednesday, January 25, 2012] Net earnings of $658 million increased 29 percent versus $511 million in 2010.
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Home Improvement Industry Stocks +7% YTD
[Monday, January 23, 2012] The Hard Fax Composite of home improvement industry stocks gained 31 points in the latest week of trading to end at 1213, up from 1182 the prior week and up seven percent on the year.
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Home Depot Acquires Online Home Services Firm Redbeacon
[Friday, January 20, 2012] The Home Depot today announced that it has acquired Redbeacon, an online home services platform connecting consumers with contractors for their home maintenance, repair and remodeling needs.
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Target Names Mulligan CFO
[Tuesday, January 24, 2012] Target Corporation today announced the promotion of John Mulligan, senior vice president, Finance to executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective April 1, 2012.
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Existing-Home Sales +5% in December
[Friday, January 20, 2012] The latest monthly data shows total existing-home sales rose 5.0 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.61 million in December from a downwardly revised 4.39 million in November, and are 3.6 percent higher than the 4.45 million-unit level in December 2010.
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Trex Honored for “Greenest” Decking
[Monday, January 23, 2012] Trex Company recently took top honors in the decking products category of the Green Builder Media 2012 Reader's Choice Brand Study.
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GE 2011 Revenues Down 2% to $147 Billion
[Friday, January 20, 2012] GE today announced fourth-quarter 2011 operating earnings of $4.1 billion, or $0.39 per share, up 6% and 11% respectively from the fourth-quarter of 2010.
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Wal-Mart Stores Makes Executive Changes
[Friday, January 20, 2012] As it approaches its new fiscal year, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. today announced a number of changes across the business.
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Housing Starts Slowed in December
[Thursday, January 19, 2012] Privately-owned housing starts in December were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 657,000. This is 4.1 percent (±11.6%) below the revised November estimate of 685,000, but is 24.9 percent (±18.3%) above the December 2010 rate of 526,000.
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Fastenal 2011 Sales Up 22%
[Wednesday, January 18, 2012] Net earnings increased 34.9% for the year to $357.9 million.
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Wal-Mart Names President for Global eCommerce
[Tuesday, January 17, 2012] Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. has announced that Neil Ashe, 44, is the new president and CEO of the company’s Global eCommerce business. Ashe was most recently president of CBS Interactive.
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Home Improvement Industry Stocks +4%
[Monday, January 16, 2012] Within our market basket of 28 industry-related stocks, just two are down after two weeks of trading in 2012.
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Tractor Supply Q4 Sales +20%
[Thursday, January 12, 2012] Tractor Supply Company today reported net sales for the fourth quarter increased 20.1% to $1.24 billion from $1.03 billion in the prior year's fourth quarter.
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Home Improvement Retail Sales Increased 5.7% in 2011
[Thursday, January 12, 2012] Advance estimates for retail sales of home improvement products (NAICS 444 – Building Material & Garden Equipment & Supplies Dealers) increased 1.6 percent in December to $25.879 billion from $25.476 billion in November. Sales were up 5.8 percent from December 2010 levels. For the year, sales were up 5.7 percent to $300.182 billion.
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ProBuild Names CEO
[Friday, January 13, 2012] ProBuild Holdings Inc. has announced Robert Marchbank has been appointed chief executive officer.
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Home Depot Hiring 70,000 for Spring Selling Season
[Thursday, January 12, 2012] The Home Depot today announced it has begun recruiting to fill more than 70,000 seasonal positions as it prepares for spring, the company's busiest selling and hiring season.
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Trex Company Completes Debt Refinancing
[Thursday, January 12, 2012] With more favorable borrowing rates and a maturity of January 9, 2015, the new facility strengthens the Company’s capital structure, according to a press release.
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NAHB Survey Makes Case for Homeownership in Election Year
[Wednesday, January 11, 2012] By an overwhelming margin, American voters strongly value homeownership and would oppose efforts to weaken or eliminate the mortgage interest deduction or diminish a federal role to help qualified home buyers obtain affordable 30-year mortgages, according to a new nationwide survey gauging likely voters’ attitudes towards homeownership and housing policy issues.
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NAHB Teams Up with NFL Players Association to Build Homes
[Tuesday, January 10, 2012] Touchdown for Homes, a charitable outreach program of the National Association of Home Builders and the NFL Players Association, has home builders and former NFL players teaming up around the country to build or renovate homes for families in need and veterans.
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WD-40 Q1 Sales +5%, Net -25%
[Tuesday, January 10, 2012] WD-40 Company reports net sales for the first quarter ended November 30, 2011 of $84.9 million, an increase of 5% from the first quarter last fiscal year. Net income for the first quarter was $6.8 million, a decrease of 25%.
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Home Improvement Industry Stocks Begin 2012 +1%
[Monday, January 09, 2012] The stock of Orchard Supply Hardware, spun-off from Sears Holdings at the end of last year, has been added to the stock listing. The stock opened at 25 and fell to 14.51 (-42%) during its first week of trading.
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Web Report: Home Depot Testing In-Store PayPal Payments
[Monday, January 09, 2012] A pilot program for PayPal's new point-of-sale technology is being run in five Home Depot stores.
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Unemployment Rate Falls to 8.5%
[Friday, January 06, 2012] Nonfarm payroll employment rose by 200,000 in December, and the unemployment rate, at 8.5 percent, continued to trend down, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.
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Manufacturers are “Cautiously Optimistic”
[Friday, January 06, 2012] Chad Moutray, Chief Economist with the National Association of Manufacturers, posted his take on today’s unemployment data in a blog posting.
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Lowe’s to Exhibit MyLowe’s at CES
[Thursday, January 05, 2012] Lowe's will be exhibiting MyLowe’s at the 2012 International CES next week in Las Vegas. MyLowe’s is an integrated online experience that helps customers customize their personal version of Lowes.com.
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Target December Sales +2.6%; Lowers Q4 Outlook
[Thursday, January 05, 2012] As a result of softer-than-expected holiday season sales, the company currently expects fourth quarter 2011 diluted EPS of $1.35 to $1.43, compared with prior guidance of $1.43 to $1.53.
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