Topic: How To Invest

Hi Pat: I’m currently thinking about adding a U.S. retailer to my portfolio and have been considering TJX Companies, Kohl’s and/or Target. What do you think about these names? Thanks in advance.

Article Excerpt

The TJX Companies, Inc., $51.35, symbol TJX on New York (Shares outstanding: 720.7 million; Market cap: $37.0 billion; www.tjx.com), is a leading off-price retailer of clothing, accessories and home fashions. Off-price retailers typically purchase merchandise at below-wholesale prices and charge less than retail prices. In the U.S., the company operates 1,047 T.J. Maxx stores, 911 Marshalls, 426 HomeGoods and 4 Sierra Trading Post outlets, as well as the sierratradingpost.com website. In Canada, it has 226 Winners outlets, 89 HomeSense locations and 21 Marshalls stores. TJX also operates in Europe, with 352 T.J. Maxx and 24 HomeSense stores. TJX shares continue to hit new highs, thanks to the company’s rising sales. Company-wide sales rose 5% in March and 9% in April, compared to a year earlier. Same-store sales fell 2% in March—the overall revenue increase came from new stores that TJX added—but rebounded and rose 8% in April. The company is planning to open 150 new stores this year, but unlike its competitors, which…