------ wal-mart profitieren weiterhin. und das sind doch eindeutig dow titel. ja ok, technologietitel werden dann "schneller" eine gewisse höhe erreichen, klar. aber ich denke standard´s werden zuerst kommen... gruss paro --------
[Wal-Mart] sales rise
September same-store sales up 4.8%; 200 news stores planned next year October 2, 2000: 10:55 a.m. ET
BENTONVILLE, Ark. (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, said Monday sales at stores open at least a year rose 4.8 percent from a year-ago and announced an aggressive plan to open more than 200 discount stores, Supercenters and shopping clubs in the U.S. next year.
Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart said total sales for the five-week period ended Sept. 29 rose 10.5 percent to $17.3 billion from $15.7 billion in the year-ago period.
Wall Street analysts had expected Wal-Mart (WMT: Research, Estimates) to report same-store sales gains of about 4 to 6 percent.
In the U.S., Wal-Mart said it plans to open about 40 new discount stores and 170 to 180 new Supercenters, which feature general merchandise as well as grocery, food and beverage products. Wal-Mart International also has plans to open 100 to 110 units in existing markets, the company said.
Shares of Wal-Mart dipped 69 cents to $47.44 in morning trading Monday on the New York Stock Exchange.
"The planned square footage growth for the coming year represents approximately 40 million square feet of new retail space, which will be the largest square footage increase in the company's history and an 8 percent increase over the fiscal 2001 yearly total," President and CEO Lee Scott said.
Relocations or expansions of existing discount stores will account for about 100 to 110 of the Supercenters, while the remainder will be built in new territories.
Many analysts see the Supercenter format as a key catalyst for Wal-Mart earnings growth in coming years.
"We continue to believe that Supercenters will be the largest driver of future earnings growth, accounting for approximately 45 to 50 percent of earnings gains going forward," Lehman Brothers retail industry analyst Jeffrey Feiner wrote in a research note.
The company's Sam's Club warehouse club division plans to open 40 to 50 discount shopping clubs in the U.S., about half of which will be relocated or expanded from existing clubs. Sam's Club said it also will continue its remodeling program with about 100 projects in the next year.
Wal-Mart also said it will add 15 to 20 Neighborhood Market stores, which sell mostly groceries, in the next fiscal year, almost doubling the number of units added in the fiscal year ending Jan. 31, 2001.
Wal-Mart announced its growth plans ahead of a meeting with analysts Monday and Tuesday in Springdale, Ark.
As of Sept. 30, Wal-Mart had 1,742 Wal-Mart stores, 835 Supercenters, 469 Sam's Clubs, and 13 Neighborhood Markets in the United States and more than 1,000 units internationally.
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