Sears quells liquidity, not retail, fears
19.05.12
Plans to raise about $770 million spinning off a business of about 1,250 stores and selling some prime real estate, hoping to convince Wall Street that the struggling chain has enough assets to tap to pay down debt.
The news boosted shares of the operator of Sears department stores and the Kmart discount chain by nearly 19 percent, the biggest jump in more than three years, and quelled some concerns about the financial health of the retailer which on Thursday also posted a $2.4 billion quarterly net loss and a 19th straight quarter of declining sales.
The moves were seen by the market as boosting Sears' liquidity profile, but did not erase the other problems plaguing the retailer, which had $747 million in cash at the end of the fiscal year, down from $1.36 billion a year earlier.
"The actions announced today buy time, they do not buy success," Credit Suisse analyst Gary Balter said. "They are steps in the right direction, but we believe that the hole that has been created will not be as easy to climb out of as investors believe."
Source: WTAQ