Edward J. Strafaci ~ Academic Blog

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/amazon-expected-to-contribute-more-than-half-of-q4-earnings-growth-for-sp-500-retail-2018-11-24 Amazon.com Inc.’s fourth quarter earnings are expected to account for more than half of earnings growth among S&P 500 retailers, according to a report from FactSet. FactSet expects Amazon  AMZN,  -0.97%    to report earnings per share of $5.51, more than double the $2.16 the e-commerce giant reported last year. Amazon beat FactSet earnings expectations the last five quarters. “Amazon.com is expected to report the highest earnings growth and is expected to be the largest contributor to earnings growth for the Retailing Industry Group and Food & Staples Retailing Industry Group combined,” wrote John Butters, senior earnings analyst at FactSet. “If Amazon were excluded, the estimated earnings growth for Q4 for these two retail industry groups would fall to 6.8% from 15%.” Ten of the 13 retail sub-industries, including ...

Great comment by an online student of mine! https://www.marketwatch.com/…/heres-what-you-should-do-when… Re:Not winning the Mega Millions could be the best thing that ever happens to you Published: Oct 21, 2018  Wow, Professor Strafaci, this article hits a lot of great topics! I live in Las Vegas, NV, and while we do not have the lottery here, many people spend their hard earned money gambling at the various casinos. We have the Mega Bucks jackpot that most people dream of winning to change their life circumstances. Yes, there are some "wealthy" people who are gamblers, but most of the people in the local casinos, are average or low-income people. It makes me sad when we go to the movies, the theater is in a casino, and I see all these people looking like zombies as they play the slot machines and table games. This article also hit on the influence social media plays in people thinking they need more. I try to do a social media fast one to two times per mo...

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Late last week, after Bloomberg News reported that Sears Holdings was preparing to file for bankruptcy protection – a prediction that came true in the wee hours Monday – I decided to visit a Sears store, something I hadn’t done in at least 30 years. There’s still one left in New York City, in Brooklyn’s Flatbush section. As I approached, I was startled by what I saw. I had expected something generic, along the lines of a Walmart or a Best Buy big box. Instead, I found myself facing an enormous art deco structure , built of cement, with the words Sears Roebuck & Co. etched proudly over several massive doors that appeared to be permanently closed. It was highlighted by a square tower that made it look more like a medieval castle than a retail store. It was an impressive sight – and a reminder of what Sears had once been. Then I walked around the back, where the entrance was – and was reminded of what Sears has become. Inside the store, lighting was terrible: Some areas had b...