New name & improving prospects

Article Excerpt

FEDERATED DEPARTMENT STORES INC. $39 (New York symbol FD; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 459.2 million; Market cap: $17.9 billion; WSSF Rating: Average) plans to change its name to Macy’s Inc. (New York symbol M) on June 1, 2007. Federated is doing a good job converting former May Department Stores to its own Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s banners, and selling surplus stores. It has also sold most of May’s bridal and formalwear businesses, as well as certain credit card receivables. It used the $4.4 billion it received for these assets to buy back $2.5 billion worth of its stock. It aims to buy back a further $4 billion of stock in the current fiscal year. The company now hopes to expand customer traffic in its stores with new in-store restaurants and Starbucks coffee outlets. It also feels new investments in its catalog and Internet operations will expand sales. Federated is a buy. buy…