anything under 7 cheap cheap cheap. good div. just paid. chart looks sick

The head of British retailer Marks and Spencer , Marc Bolland, said the company's step-by-step approach to improve general merchandise sales was working despite figures showing the 10th consecutive quarter drop in clothing sales. Chief Executive Marc Bolland said Britain's biggest clothing retailer, which also sells homewares and food, had seen a 1.5 percent growth in general merchandise in its Christmas trading. "The step-by-step approach to improve our general merchandise is slowly improving but we have always said that it will be step-by-step," Bolland told BBC Radio. "Our market share has been stabilised over the quarter and it has even been for womenswear slightly improved." Bolland said the retailer's largest sharholders understood the company was undergoing a major transformation that would take time.

cut my losses as bear squeeze gets a good grip

however
Cantor Fitzgerald cuts target price to 410p from 425p

with that in mind, selling again in due course might still be a good call .... after all, the numbers really were pretty dire

M&S Q3 clothing lfl sales down 2.1 pct, food up 1.6 pct - Tesco, Marks & Spencer and Morrisons, three of the biggest names in British retailing, posted heavy falls in Christmas sales, showing few signs that their costly turnaround plans are working, and raising the pressure on their leaders.
"All three reports today were pretty nasty - Morrisons especially so," said a UK investor with shares in all the retailers.

M&S, Britain's biggest clothing retailer which started out as a penny bazaar 130 years ago, reported a 10th consecutive quarter of falling clothing sales and cut its margin guidance after fierce discounting by rivals forced it to slash prices in December. Its sales of general merchandise - which spans clothing, footwear and homewares - fell 2.1 percent in its third quarter to Dec. 28 at stores which have been open for more than a year. This drop was greater than analysts' forecasts and the firm avoided having to issue a formal profit warning only by delivering a strong performance in its food business.

=====================

so the obvious question is whether or not today's sharp sp recovery is mostly bear closing, forced or otherwise, and if so, will the sp collapse once more

read into the chart below what you like ..... sp has surged back through 25+200 dma but is now just nudging 50 dma above

Perversely it now looks bullish - remind me not to trade the retailers next January!

sticky/shortie - any thoughts?

Numis Hold 471.10 - 450.00 Retains

Investec Buy 471.10 500.00 500.00 Upgrades

smartarse or about-to-be-smarting-arse?
just shorted at 469.9

HSBC Overweight 465.75 460.90 500.00 500.00 Reiterates

Citigroup Buy 465.75 460.90 510.00 510.00 Reiterates

Deutsche Bank Hold 465.75 460.90 500.00 485.00 Retains

Jefferies International Hold 465.75 460.90 480.00 480.00 Reiterates

closed with minor graze .... should have done so last night with respectable profit :-)

Jefferies International Buy 496.30 496.30 480.00 600.00 Upgrades

Looks like MKS as found support and rising from a double bottom pattern. SP targets are resistance lines to be taken out on the chart. The oscillators are looking very bullish.

The company reports on the 10th of April a Trading Statement.

Broker Charles Stanley Morning Note..........

Marks & Spencer (MKS: 469.5p) has managed to put on a short 4% over the last couple of
sessions (on decent volumes) and this is worth highlighting since it coincides with a
successful test of the uptrend that began just over a year ago. The fact that this reversal
coincides with the appearance of bullish divergence on the 14-day RSI seems to suggest that
there could be scope for yet more upside in the short to medium term, with 480p or so as the
next target.

Marks and Spencer Group Plc Given “Buy” Rating at Jefferies Group (MKS)
Posted by Alphonse Anthony on Apr 3rd, 2014

Marks and Spencer Group Plc logoJefferies Group reaffirmed their buy rating on shares of Marks and Spencer Group Plc (LON:MKS) in a report issued on Wednesday, Analyst Ratings.Net reports. They currently have a GBX 600 ($9.98) target price on the stock.
Jefferies Group has also updated their ratings on a number of other stocks in the last week. The firm lowered its price target on shares of Ceragon Networks Ltd. from $3.50 to $3.40. Also, Jefferies Group raised its price target on shares of Amarin Co. plc from $3.00 to $3.50. Finally, Jefferies Group upgraded shares of CNOOC from a hold rating to a buy rating.
Marks and Spencer Group Plc (LON:MKS) traded up 0.36% during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting GBX 471.60. The stock had a trading volume of 5,786,886 shares. Marks and Spencer Group Plc has a 52-week low of GBX 368.00 and a 52-week high of GBX 520.50. The stock has a 50-day moving average of GBX 481.4 and a 200-day moving average of GBX 478.. The company’s market cap is £7.592 billion.


MKS has been the subject of a number of other recent research reports. Analysts at Santander reiterated a hold rating on shares of Marks and Spencer Group Plc in a research note on Friday, March 28th. They now have a GBX 460 ($7.65) price target on the stock. Separately, analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an underperform rating on shares of Marks and Spencer Group Plc in a research note on Monday, March 24th. They now have a GBX 400 ($6.66) price target on the stock. Finally, analysts at Citigroup Inc. reiterated a buy rating on shares of Marks and Spencer Group Plc in a research note on Wednesday, March 19th. They now have a GBX 510 ($8.49) price target on the stock. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and seventeen have given a buy rating to the company. The stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of GBX 496.61 ($8.26).
Marks and Spencer Group plc is a United Kingdom retailer. The Company is the holding company of the Marks & Spencer Group of companies.

Marks & Spencer Group PLC (MKS)23:39 ET Apr 03, 2014
Close

Chief Pulse Comment by Marc J Bolland

However, M&S's desire for international expansion with a focus on opening 250 new stores, growing its food business and increasing its franchise operations is well known, and its chief executive outlined yesterday how the company will concentrate on growing international revenues by 25% and international profits by 40%. "Our strategy of becoming an international, multi channel retailer is more relevant than ever before because of the strong growth potential of international markets," said Marc Bolland, M&S chief executive, adding that the retailer will seek a local partner to further expand in China. . "When we started in China we said we wanted to establish strong flagship stores. We have done that

Thursday's Agenda: UK High Street under the spotlight with trading updates
By Giles Gwinnett
April 09 2014, 6:30pm


Thursday will see a trading statement from High Street bellwether Marks & Spencer (LON:MKS), sure to be keenly scrutinised.

The announcement will cover the fourth quarter trading and the retailer is expected to report a fall in like-for-likes sales in clothing and flat food sales, but that its revamp is on track.

It recently held an investor event in Paris showcase its international business.

British retailers have, at best, a patchy record when it comes to overseas expansion, but the scribblers at City broker Jefferies were relatively impressed by the event.

The broker said: "What we saw and heard was encouraging; however, we were already forecasting 40% international profit growth to FY17 and thus UK profits (83% of group) remain key."

Full year results for the company will be issued in May.

Trading Statement

QUARTER 4 2013/14 TRADING STATEMENT
13 WEEKS TO 29 MARCH 2014

'Improved Performance In Clothing'


· Group sales1 +1.9%
· UK: total sales +1.5%, like-for-like -0.2%
· Food2: total sales +2.5%, like-for-like +0.1%
· GM: total sales +0.2%, like-for-like -0.6%
· Clothing: total sales +1.3%, like-for-like +0.6%
· M&S.com +12.5%
· International sales1 +4.7%

those who were brave enough to go long will assuredly be well rewarded, no doubt enhanced by a bear squeeze too

Marks and Spencer Group Plc Rating Reiterated by N+1 Singer (MKS)
Posted by Wayne Rhoads on Apr 10th, 2014

Marks and Spencer Group Plc logoMarks and Spencer Group Plc (LON:MKS)‘s stock had its “buy” rating reiterated by research analysts at N+1 Singer in a report released on Thursday, AmericanBankingNews.com reports. They currently have a GBX 560 ($9.28) price target on the stock. N+1 Singer’s price target suggests a potential upside of 22.81% from the company’s current price.
Marks and Spencer Group Plc (LON:MKS) opened at 465.10 on Thursday. Marks and Spencer Group Plc has a 52 week low of GBX 359.20 and a 52 week high of GBX 520.50. The stock has a 50-day moving average of GBX 479.5 and a 200-day moving average of GBX 478.5. The company’s market cap is £7.487 billion.
Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Analysts at Nplus1 Brewin reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Marks and Spencer Group Plc in a research note on Thursday. They now have a GBX 560 ($9.28) price target on the stock. Separately, analysts at Societe Generale reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Marks and Spencer Group Plc in a research note on Tuesday. They now have a GBX 609 ($10.10) price target on the stock. Finally, analysts at Nomura reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Marks and Spencer Group Plc in a research note on Monday. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and seventeen have assigned a buy rating to the company. The stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of GBX 491.40 ($8.15).
Marks and Spencer Group plc is a United Kingdom retailer. The Company is the holding company of the Marks & Spencer Group of companies.

Final Results

Full year results:
• Group sales up 2.7%1 at £10.3bn
• Total UK sales +2.3%: Food +4.2%; General Merchandise 0.0%
• Like-for-like UK sales +0.2%: Food +1.7%; General Merchandise -1.4%
• International sales +6.2%1
• Multi-channel sales +22.8%

• Underlying profit before tax2 -3.9%3 to £623m
• Statutory profit before tax +6.1%3 to £580m
• Underlying basic earnings per share2 +0.9%3 to 32.2p
• Basic earnings per share +14.8%3 to 32.5p
• Full year dividend 17.0p per share level on the year
• Net debt down £150.7m to £2.46bn