[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeInDown”]
J.C. Penney Company Inc. Stock Is for Aggressive Speculators Only
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
JCP stock is probably not for investors, but it might be intriguing to traders
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeInLeft”]The saga of J.C. Penney Company Inc. (NYSE:JCP) and JCP stock has been a bizarre one. Years before clothing retailers started getting destroyed by online competition, hedge fund manager Bill Ackman made a move on the company. He tried to reposition it by bringing in Ron Johnson, who had been credited with creating and executing the Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) store concept.
Out With the Old
The stores were redesigned and renovated, based on Johnson’s store-within-a-store vision. But the JCP stock price cratered and sales were clobbered because the popular discounting model was extinguished.
One of the things that got customers into the stores was that JCP, like many retailers, threw coupons around like confetti. The psychological effect of using a 15-25% coupon in a discount store could not be replaced.
So, Johnson got booted, Ackman exited his position, and the company was turned over to new management — just in time for brick-and-mortar retailers to experience body blows from online retail outlets.
Today, the JCP stock price is $3.59.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeIn”]
A Closer Look at JCP Stock
I don’t see bankruptcy as an imminent threat, and there is arguably a speculative value play here for aggressive traders.
Looking at JCP stock and financials from the macro level, things are actually somewhat stable. From fiscal year 2015 to FY17, total revenue actually rose about 2.5%, operating income went from a $254 million loss to a $395 million gain, thanks to big cuts in SG&A. A $717 million net loss was reversed to the point of break-even.
Free cash flow is still negative to the tune of almost $100 million, though, and cash on hand is down to $314 million. Long term debt is $3.84 billion, although debt maturities are not pressuring the company just yet.
For the first two quarters this year, there was a 2.4% decline in same-store sales, and net loss nearly doubled, from $124 million to $242 million. The good news is that operating cash flow improved from negative $208 million to positive $56 million. However, increases in capital expenditures (capex) pushed free cash flow into negative territory to the tune of $136 million.
As for bankruptcy, there is enough operating cash flow to pay $190 million in debt maturing in 2018, $175 million in 2019, and $400 million in 2020 without the need for much in the way of asset sales. The 2020 debt will likely require a refinance, though.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row]