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2017 ACG Awards Banquet FlyerFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

ASSOCIATION FOR CORPORATE GROWTH SOUTH FLORIDA CHAPTER TO HONOR OUTSTANDING COMPANIES – 2017 ANNUAL AWARDS BANQUET

 

South Florida, March 23, 2017. The South Florida Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG-South Florida) announced today that it will award its’ Outstanding Growth Company of the Year, Emerging Growth Company of the Year and Transaction of the Year at a cocktail reception, awards dinner and post event reception at the Westin Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Cypress Creek Rd. on June 15th beginning at 5:30pm.

 

ACG South Florida President Ari Roloff praised the future award winners as models for success in today’s economy. He stated that “winners of these awards exhibit broad based growth strategies and excellent execution. ACG awards signify exemplary and visionary leadership, community involvement and a record of above average growth”. Key event sponsors will join ACG South Florida in presenting the awards.

 

Founded in 1954, the Association for Corporate Growth Inc. (“ACG”) is the premier global association for professionals involved in corporate growth, corporate development, and mergers and acquisitions. ACG has over 14,500 members from corporations, private equity, finance and professional service firms representing Fortune 500, Fortune 1000, FTSE 100 and middle-market companies in nearly 60 chapters in North America, Europe and Asia. Leaders in these firms and organizations are focused on building value and they belong to ACG. They recognize the value of networking and building relationships that can help them generate profitable growth. ACG serves 90,000 investors, executives, lenders and advisers to growing middle-market companies. ACG’s mission is to drive middle-market growth. 75% of ACG members report that they have done business with fellow members. This return on investment has made ACG the most trusted and respected resource for middle-market dealmakers and business leaders who invest in growth and build companies

 

ACG-South Florida is a vibrant, growing chapter with over 150 members in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. This chapter holds meeting throughout the year featuring prominent speakers and panels focused on business and growth related topics that alternate across the three counties that represent the geographical diversity of its membership. ACG-South Florida also co-sponsors the annual Florida Capital Connection Conference slated for November 8-9 at Grand Hyatt Orlando. This conference brings together leading capital providers, M&A professionals, intermediaries, corporate executives and service providers. Information can be obtained at the ACG website.

 

Information about the Awards Banquet, including sponsorships, advertising and registration, plus other future events, can be obtained from Ari Roloff (954-732-1291), Chapter Executive Lisa Tineo (305-343-2676; ltineo@acg.org) and Thomas Hicks (954-415-639; renparlc@gate.net) and from the ACG-South Florida website http://www.acg.org/southflorida/. Forms for purchases of sponsorships, tickets and program/journal ads are available from the website. ACG member tickets $135; non-members $175.

 

For Additional Information Contact:

Thomas H. Hicks

Secretary/Treasurer

954-971-3555

renparlc@gate.net

 

Lisa Tineo

Chapter Executive

ACG South Florida

305-343-2676

ltineo@acg.org

20533 Biscayne Blvd. #342

Aventura, FL 33180

 

DOWNLOAD THE FULL PRESS RELEASE AND FLYER HERE

To Our Business Colleagues

As a Board Member of ACG South Florida I would like to invite you to register for our ACG Private Equity Wine Tasting and Holiday Party at the Tower Club on December 15th.

The event will have over 28 outstanding premium wines to sample as well as delicious hors d’oeuvres and  cocktails featuring Golden Moon Distillery!

You can register yourself at: http://www.acg.org/southflorida/events/event.aspx?F_d=12%2f15%2f2016&F_y=2016&F_m=12&EventId=75733&

Or, let me know if available and I will confirm you personally by having Lisa Tineo our Chapter Executive contact you!

Best regards!

Tom Hicks

Private Equity Wine Tasting Event

Retail Industry Stock Outlook – June 2014

Retail Begins Picking It Up
By Zacks Equity Research July 15, 2014 3:10 PM

Retailers procure goods in large quantities directly from manufacturers or wholesalers and sell them in smaller quantities to customers through retail shops or online platforms. As consumer spending is the key to the viability of any economy, the health of the retail industry becomes an important economic indicator.

As a leader in the retail business, the United States provides ample growth opportunities for all types of retail companies. The retail industry covers everything in its scope, ranging from internet catalog sales, auto dealers, convenience stores, vending machines and clothing — thus dividing retailers into numerous categories. Retailers of all sizes, including individual direct marketers or direct sellers, small- to medium-sized franchise unit owners, and large “big-box” store operators compete in the U.S.

From a labor intensity perspective, the retail industry ranks among the dominant U.S. industries and employs an enormous workforce. Retail sales represent approximately 30% of consumer spending, which itself accounts for more two-thirds of the economy.

Correlation with the Economy

Although the U.S. economy commenced the year on a sluggish note, the stock markets have shown momentum so far. The S&P 500 has gained roughly 7.0%, The Nasdaq Composite Index jumped about 6.6%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 3.1% year-to-date.

The economic outlook for 2014 remains positive based on favorable economic data and an improved consumer and business outlook.

According to the data from Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for June declined to 6.1% from 6.3% in May, and reached its lowest level since September 2008.

The recent Conference Board’s data on Consumer Confidence Index reflected a 3.0 points improvement to 85.2 in Jun 2014, following a rise in May to 82.2. Meanwhile, the University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment survey showed a 0.7% sequential improvement to 82.5. However, it declined 1.9% year-over-year.

Another data by the Commerce Department shows that consumer spending for May 2014 was up 0.2% after being flat in Apr 2014. Despite growth in personal income during May, spending remained cautious. Looking ahead, the Federal Reserve has been projecting stronger growth as it winds down its bond-buying program designed to stimulate the economy.

With economic activities gradually gaining traction, the Federal Reserve has so far reduced its monthly bond purchases to $35 billion, in 5 rounds of $10 billion tapering each month. The minutes of the latest Federal Reserve meeting indicate that it will likely reduce the pace of asset purchases in further measured steps.

The Federal Open Market Committee (:FOMC) now plans to end its bond purchase program in October with a final reduction of $15 billion provided the economy stays on track. Till that time, the Federal Reserve plans to trim its bond purchases by $10 billion at each meeting.

However, the central bank said the decision to end bond purchases in October shouldn’t be interpreted as a sign that a hike in key interest rates is likely to begin sooner. The central bank plans to keep the rates near zero for a considerable period.

The strengthening manufacturing sector and improving labor market are positive indicators no doubt, and the retail sector is likely to hog all attention. These feel-good factors have abated fears of a derailed economy that arose after the first quarter of 2014, when GDP data revealed a 2.9% decline. While the BEA is expected to release the Real GDP ‘Advance estimate’ for the second quarter on Jul 30, market analysts’ continue to suggest about 3% economic growth (GDP) in 2014.

Key Metrics

The key data in the retail industry analysis is comparable-store sales (comps), as it excludes sales at newly opened and closed stores. The sales data of most retailers reveal that the industry has been picking up with better-than-expected comps reported for the fourth straight month, owing to huge promotional activities, favorable weather, Easter Sales, Memorial Day weekend sales and the recently improved employment and consumer credit data.

The latest key metrics data released last week reflect a positive sentiment with all but 2 of the 11 retailers that report monthly comps emerged as winners. The improved results in June were mostly attributed to a rise in traffic resulting from the positive economic factors like a 0.2% decline in unemployment rate and 7.4% rise in consumer credit as well as heavy promotions and favorable weather.

The list of gainers in June was led by drugstore operator Walgreen Co. (WAG), which posted a 7.5% rise in comps and an 8.9% increase in total sales. This was followed by Costco Wholesale Corp. (COST) which posted a 6% rise in comps for June. The warehouse retailer Costco Wholesale’s sales grew 10% to $10.89 billion.

Drugstore chain retailer Rite Aid Corp. (RAD) occupied the third spot with 3.9% growth in comparable-store sales for Jun 2014, while total drugstore sales climbed 3.5% to $1.995 billion for the month.

Moving forward with the list, Washington-based retailer of sports-related teen apparel Zumiez Inc. (ZUMZ) reported a 3.1% increase in comps while sales improved 11.1% to $65.3 million from $58.8 million in the year-ago period. Apparel and accessories retailer Cato Corporation (CATO) reported a 3% rise in comps along with a 7% improvement in net sales.

Further, off-price retailer of apparels, footwear and accessories, Stein Mart Inc. (SMRT) registered a 2.6% increase in June comps, while total sales rose 3.8%. Comps of the clothing retail chain L Brands Inc. (LB) rose 2% with a 7% improvement in sales to $1.176 billion.

Meanwhile, warehouse club operator PriceSmart Inc. (PSMT) posted a 1% increase in comps for June whereas sales for the month rose 4%. The Buckle Inc. (BKE), a retailer of casual apparels, footwear and accessories for men and women, reported a 0.7% rise in comps while net sales increased 2.8% to $84.8 million.

On the other hand, the aggrieved retailers list for the month was topped by The Gap Inc. (GPS), which posted a 2% fall in comps and 1% increase in net sales to $1.54 billion for June. Another downer on the list is discount store operator Fred’s Inc. (FRED), which reported a 0.6% fall in comps as against an increase of 4.5% last year. Net sales for Jun 2014 were up 2% to $191.2 million.

Though the comps and sales performances in June are encouraging, the recently lowered second quarter earnings forecasts by retailers like Tractor Supply Company (TSCO) and Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc. (LL) indicate that there still remain concerns for retailers with the back-to-school selling season just around the corner. Retailers are worried about the low traffic trends in the second quarter as shoppers nowadays are more inclined toward online shopping which has led to a decline in store walk-ins. Furthermore, despite a rise in employment the low-income group still shy’s away from spending freely.

Trends to Rule 2014

The retail industry has evolved drastically with a dramatic change in consumer buying habits. Consumers today are knowledgeable, more inquisitive and choosy. Moreover, today’s customers have numerous shopping options at their disposal like in-store, online, mobiles, social media and so on, that influence their purchasing decision. Satisfying customers and enriching their buying experience require new strategies. Modern retailing, interestingly enough, is a new game with new rules.

The U.S. retail and food services sales data for May 2014 showed slight improvement. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the retail and food services sales rose 0.3% sequentially and 4.3% year over year to $437.6 billion.

Some of the trends that are expected to rule the retail sector going forward include increased technological solutions, incorporating customer feedback and targeting additional audiences with products and services.

Omnichannel Retailing the New Norm: The sluggish U.S. economy and continued weakness in Europe have driven retailers to focus on the buyers’ needs and lure them with innovative products, attractive discounts, free shipping and the ease of shopping through smartphones and tablets. As these efforts failed to pay off, retailers felt the need for a better channel to connect with customers and engage them by all possible means.

This gave rise to the “omnichannel” approach, which focuses on providing more touch points and multiple channels to customers. This approach facilitates the use of all possible mediums to engage consumers, including brick and mortar stores, online and mobile at the same time or alternatively.

This strategy provides customers the ease of selection, purchase and exchange of a product through multiple channels. For example, a customer may select a product online, buy it through his phone and will have the option to exchange the same by visiting a store without any hassle. Some retailers who are already benefiting from this strategy include Staples Inc. (SPLS), Macy’s Inc. (M), Nordstrom Inc. (JWN) and Chico’s FAS Inc. (CHS).

Personalized In-Store Experience: With evolution to the .com era and advancement of consumers, retailers are pulling up their socks to reinvent their marketing style, evolving from the previous mass advertising and promotions format to a more personalized method, which will impress today’s omnichannel customer.

The consumer today seeks a more direct communication through an app on their smartphone or an Internet chat with an executive on the company’s website. Moreover, the customers prefer tailored offers and recommendations online as well as in stores.

Increasing Use of Mobile Wallet Technology: With everything in retail undergoing a sea change, the modes of payment used when shopping have also evolved drastically. The increasing use of smartphones, tablets and mobile technology has given rise to a new mobile application called ‘mobile wallet,’ through which customers can be make payments instantly using their smartphones or tablets. Though cash and credit cards will remain the primary payment methods, the use of mobile wallet is catching up quickly among mobile users for the convenience it offers.

The popularity of this app among customers is driving retailers to adapt this payment mode by collaborating with some of the mobile wallet providers available in the market like PayPal, Google Wallet, Square Wallet, Dwolla, and more.

In a recent stride in this direction, leading car rental company Avis Budget Group Inc. (CAR) fused its express rental service “Avis Preferred” with the Google Wallet application. Moreover, the PayPal app has gained recognition with a wide array of retailers including Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (ANF), Advance Auto Parts Inc. (AAP),  Aeropostale Inc. (ARO), American Eagle Outfitters Inc. (AEO), Barnes & Noble Inc. (BKS), Foot Locker Inc. (FL), Guitar Center, Jamba Inc.’s (JMBA) Jamba Juice, J.C. Penney Company Inc. (JCP), Nine West, Office Depot Inc. (ODP), (JOSB), Rooms To Go, Tiger Direct and Toys “R” Us.

Technology-Friendly Brick & Mortar Stores: With shoppers increasingly becoming tech savvy, the brick and mortar stores need to brace themselves and move from their old-fashioned layouts adopting innovative in-store technologies. The simplest way to do this is the adoption of in-store mobile devices, through which customers can make payments, see product demonstrations, gather information and connect to social networks.

This was recently demonstrated by Apple Inc. (AAPL), which equipped its associates with iPhones enabling them to assist customers and receive payments anywhere in the store. This reduces billing queues and ensures efficient management of space, making stores less congested.

Further, retailers are exploring new ways to use mobile devices in-store. They are looking for mobile apps that track customers as they shop, sending them tailored offers related to the store’s section they are in; recommending items based on past purchases; or allowing shoppers to program automated shopping lists.

In-store technologies, that customers look for these days include mobile point of sales, price checkers, self-checkout payment lanes, information kiosks, digital signage, etc. Other innovative technologies that will prove effective to engage customers both in-store and elsewhere are smart shelves, Wi-Fi hot spots, point-of-sales (:POS) systems, virtual storefronts and endless aisles.

Reinvention of Loyalty Programs: Loyalty programs offer an edge to retailers as customers come back for more offers. However, the age-old reward programs are losing popularity among shoppers as the offers are sometimes irrelevant and benefit accumulation is slow.

With the trends changing in retail, retailers are now perking up their loyalty programs replacing loyalty cards with customized offers based on social information, behavioral patterns of shoppers, frequently bought items and other such details. Retailers who have shown stringent focus on enhancing rewards on their loyalty schemes include Nordstrom, Rite Aid Corp., Office Depot and many others.

Impact of Social Media on Shopping Decisions: With the growing use of social networking sites by the masses, business firms have also entered social media to promote their business. Through the social platforms retailers can advertise their brand and launch new products and campaigns. Companies also offer mobile coupons exclusively through these platforms, largely influencing the buying decisions of shoppers.

Additionally, these social platforms provide an insight into what the customers will buy in the stores based on the interest shown by them regarding products featured on these sites.

Investing in Big Data to Track Shoppers: With the growing need for giving personal attention to shoppers, retailers are widely investing in analysis software like “Big Data” that help accumulate information regarding the behavioral patterns, history and background of customers. The analysis of this data facilitates the prediction of customer reaction, formulating pricing strategies, offering shopper-specific discounts and providing personalized recommendations to shoppers. Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) is one retailer which has been involved in data analysis for quite some time now, offering tailored product recommendations based on the customer’s previous purchases.

Growth of Retail in Emerging Markets: Having tapped most of the potential in the domestic markets, a pattern recently noticed among retailers is their venture into the emerging markets.

Most retail chains are witnessing growing demand for their products in countries like Brazil, the Middle East, China and India and aims at growing their exposure in these countries over time. Some of the retailers venturing into these markets include The Gap, The Clorox Company (CLX), Ralph Lauren Corp. (RL), V.F. Corp. (VFC) and Tiffany & Co. (TIF).

Challenges and Some Remedial Measures

The retail industry is highly competitive and encounters significant challenges. With a slow economic recovery in the U.S., consumers remain exposed to macroeconomic factors such as interest rate hikes, increase in fuel and energy costs, credit availability, unemployment levels and high household debt levels, which may negatively impact their discretionary spending and eventually adversely affect growth and profitability of retail companies.

Macroeconomic Conditions: Retail is no different from other U.S. industries, and is highly dependent on the economy to prosper. Such heightened dependence on the economy and factors like job growth and interest rates indicate that a speedy recovery of the economy is vital to the retail industries’ health. While the unemployment rate has decreased considerably over time, consumers are now beginning to draw out their savings to spend, anticipating economic recovery in the future.

Lack of Focus on Research & Development: Despite the shift of focus on consumers in retail, there still remains a conservative approach among retailers when it comes to research and development budgets. Looking from another perspective, given the rising use of digital and social media, retailers lag behind from customers when it comes to adopting new technologies and platforms.

The ever-changing technological scenario demands continued investment in research & development to remain updated. For example, the mobile point of sales technology introduced some years back as a new innovation has now become a must-have in retail stores.

To prosper in this high-tech era, retailers need to hold back on the adoption of every new technology and focus only on the ones that will help enhance their brand proposition. Identifying the best options and investments in that direction will help fetch results.

More Data Analysis Raises Consumer Privacy Risk: Though the tracking systems developed to study consumer behavior are doing well for retailers, their sustainability is questionable as customers might get irked by such tracking over time. As a result, they may register for ‘Do Not Track’ systems to prevent tracking.

In order to address this issue, companies should educate shoppers on the benefits of such data analysis. Customers need to be informed that the tracking systems installed in the stores are solely for data collection and will not hinder their privacy in any way.

Zacks Industry Rank

Within the Zacks Industry classification, Retail/Wholesale (one of 16 Zacks sectors) is divided into two categories — Nonfood Retail-Wholesale and Food/Drug- Retail/Wholesale under the Medium (M) Industry Group and further sub-divided into 14 industries at the expanded (X) level — Building Products-Retail/Wholesale, Internet Commerce, Retail/Wholesale Auto/Truck, Retail-Apparel/Shoe, Retail-Consumer Electronic, Retail-Discount, Retail-Drug Store, Retail-Jewelry, Retail-Miscellaneous/Diversified, Retail-Restaurants, Retail-RGN Department, Retail-Supermarket, Retail/Wholesale-Auto Parts and Retail/Wholesale CMP.

We divide the 16 Zacks sectors into 60 M-level industries and 250 X-level industry groups. We rank all the 250 plus industries in the 16 Zacks sectors based on the earnings outlook and fundamental strength of the constituent companies in each industry. To learn more visit: About Zacks Industry Rank. http://www.zacks.com/stocks/industry-rank

As a point of reference, the outlook for industries with Zacks Industry Rank #88 and lower is ‘Positive,’ between #89 and #176 is ‘Neutral’ and #177 and higher is ‘Negative.’

The Zacks Industry Rank for Retail/Wholesale Auto/Truck #1, Retail/Wholesale-Auto Parts is #11, Retail-Jewelry #11, Retail-RGN Department #29, Retail-Restaurants #89, Retail-Drug Store #178, Retail-Consumer Electronic #183, Retail-Apparel/Shoe #189, Internet Commerce #200, Retail/Wholesale CMP #202, Retail-Discount #213, Retail-Miscellaneous/Diversified #227, Building Products-Retail/Wholesale #247 and Retail-Supermarket #247.

On analyzing the Zacks Industry Rank for the constituent industries in this space, it is apparent that the overall outlook for the Retail/Wholesale sector is Negative.

Earnings Trends

The Q2 earnings season has just started with only 14% of the broader Retail/Wholesale companies releasing their financial results. Though it is difficult to arrive at a precise trend for the quarter at this time, the earnings and revenue growth rates are broadly in-line with the trend seen in the first quarter of 2014.

So far, the earnings “beat ratio” was 16.7%, while the revenue “beat ratio” was 66.7%. Total earnings for this sector improved 2.7% year over year, while total revenue improved 5.2% in the quarter.

With a large chunk of the results yet to come up earnings and revenue projections for Q2 stand at 2.6% and 5.0%, respectively, for the Retail/Wholesale sector. This is compared with a 2.2% earnings decline and 3.8% revenue growth registered in the first quarter of 2014.

Looking at the consensus earnings expectations for the quarter ahead, the picture looks slightly bright with earnings expected to grow 8.7% in the third quarter of 2014, registering full-year 2014 growth of 8.5%. Going into the next year, earnings expectations look encouraging with projected earnings growth of 14.0% for the full-year 2015.

For more details about the earnings of this sector and others, please read our ‘Earnings Trends’ report.

Conclusion

Retailers are trying to remain competitive primarily by shifting focus to the long-term horizon and finding innovative solutions to create value, reduce operating costs and mitigate risks throughout the enterprise.

Right-sizing inventories, enhancing efficiency and competence and bringing in technological advancements are the key agendas that retailers are focusing on. Moreover, cost-containment efforts and merchandise initiatives to improve margins are top priorities.

Retail, owing to its huge spectrum, remains a lucrative investment avenue for investors. The sector reflects consumer spending trends, an important parameter to gauge the health of the economy. Thus, identifying future winners from this sector would be a good investment decision.

We recommend few stocks in the sector at this point, as these companies are showing significant growth despite the secular headwinds. The stocks in our coverage with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) include AutoNation Inc. (AN), BJ’s Restaurants Inc. (BJRI), Brinker International Inc. (EAT), Tiffany & Co., CarMax Inc. (KMX), Restoration Hardware Holdings Inc. (RH), Sonic Automotive Inc. (SAH), The Men’s Wearhouse Inc. (MW), Christopher & Banks Corporation (CBK), Citi Trends Inc. (CTRN), Under Armour Inc. (UA), Columbia Sportswear Company (COLM), Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. (KORS) and Hanesbrands Inc. (HBI).

Additionally, we prefer stocks with a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), namely Big Lots Inc. (BIG), Zumiez Inc., Gap Inc., Nordstrom Inc., Foot Locker Inc., Five Below Inc. (FIVE), Barnes & Noble Inc., Finish Line Inc. (FINL), The Children’s Place Inc. (PLCE), Conn’s Inc. (CONN), Dillard’s Inc. (DDS), J. C. Penney Co. Inc., Marinemax Inc. (HZO), The Kroger Company (KR), Signet Jewelers Ltd. (SIG) and Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance Inc. (ULTA).

On the other hand, there are stocks that do not hold promise in the near term, and carry a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) and Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). These include Amazon.com Inc., Bebe Stores Inc. (BEBE), Chico’s FAS Inc., Chuy’s Holdings Inc. (CHUY), CST Brands Inc. (CST), Darden Restaurants Inc. (DRI), Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. (DKS), DSW Inc. (DSW), Express Inc. (EXPR), Lululemon Athletica Inc. (LULU), Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc., PetSmart Inc. (PETM), Target Corp. (TGT) and Stock Building Supply Holdings Inc. (STCK).

U.S. Retail Sales Rise in October from September – Redbook

By Dow Jones Business News,  November 04, 2014, 09:21:00 AM EDT

By Tess Stynes

National chain-store sales edged up 0.2% during October from September, according to Redbook Research’s latest indicator, released Tuesday. The index’s increase compared with a target for growth of a 0.4%.

The Johnson Redbook Sales Index also showed seasonally adjusted sales for the period improved 4% from a year earlier, compared with a target for an increase of 4.2%. During the fourth week of October, sales rose 3.9%.

Redbook noted some stores did better during the week, supported by Halloween shopping for items such as costumes, candy and outdoor decorations. However, it added that the holiday’s falling on a Friday, usually an important shopping day, probably impacted the week negatively overall.

For November, Redbook set its preliminary target for same-store sales growth at 4.7% year-to-year, with a month-to- month increase of 0.1%.

 

Retail sales up in October

By Justine Griffin, Herald-Tribune

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Retail sales improved by 2.1 percent during the middle of October, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers. Sales were strong at national chain retailers during the middle of October compared to the same time period last year, but on a week-over-week basis, sales decreased by 0.3 percent. “Business over the past week was strong for electronic stores, apparel stores and discounters,” said Michael Niemira, research consultant with ICSC. “Gasoline prices remained low, down a hefty 7.1 percent from the same week of the prior year. Continuing to get a break at the pump should bode well for healthy discretionary spending as we inch closer to entering the tradition holiday shopping period.”

The National Retail Federation predicts that holiday spending for Halloween will reach $7.4 billion this year.

U.S. oil production reached its highest level since 1985 last week, which helped ease the cost of gas across the country. Gas prices dropped by 10 cents nationally to $3.11 a gallon compared to the week prior. In Sarasota, the average price of gasoline hovered at $3.15 per gallon as of Monday.

The NRF also called for holiday spending during the moths of November and December to be up about 4.1 percent compared to 2013.


 

TMA Florida Chapter

www.tmaflorida.org/

                                                                                                                                          FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For Further Information Contact:

Florida Chapter, Turnaround Management Association
Tabitha Moore
PO Box 3466, Orlando, FL 32802
Tel: 954-653-2484; Email: tabitha@mooremgmt.com

 

Post-Election Economy – U.S., Florida, Global

Ft. Lauderdale, FL (October 12, 2012) – Florida TMA (Turnaround Management Association)  is pleased to announce a special South Florida event on November 14th  focused on the key economic takeaways following the 2012 election. Well known economist Bill Stronge, Ph.D. Economics, Iowa State University and Professor Emeritus of Economics at Florida Atlantic University will discuss short and long-term issues such as the growing U.S. debt, entitlement programs, tax policy, health care, GDP growth and unemployment in the context of the 2012 election results.


Dr. Stronge was professor in the Economics Department at Florida Atlantic University from 1971-2006 (Chair, 1981-1990) and FAU Director of International Programs from 1990-2003. He also engages in economic consulting and research for public and private sector clients. Recently, he was appointed a Fellow with the Economic Development Research Institute (EDRI) in Palm Beach County and in 2009 became an adjunct professor of economics at Nova Southeastern University in the Master’s in Real Estate Program and in 2011 in the MBA Program.

Wednesday, November 14th, 5:30pm

Tower Club – Fort Lauderdale
100 SE Third Avenue
One Financial Plaza, Regions Bank Bldg. 28th Floor
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33394
(954) 417-8770

$45 for TMA and Guest Organization Members

$55 Non-Members

Visit www.tmaflorida.org for information and registration or call (954) 653-2484

—————————————————————————————————————————————–

TMA and the Florida Chapter
The Turnaround Management Association (www.turnaround.org) is the only international non-profit association dedicated to corporate renewal and turnaround management. Established in 1988, TMA has more than 9,000 members in 47 chapters, including 32 in North America, and one each in Australia, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Southern Africa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan and the UK, with a chapter in formation in Romania. TMA members are a professional community of turnaround and corporate renewal professionals who share a common interest in strengthening the economy through the restoration of corporate value. The Florida Chapter is dynamic and vibrant with meetings in the four leading markets in the State: Southeast Florida, Orlando, Tampa Bay and Jacksonville. Membership is entitles members to discounts at programs and networking events, including access to periodic members only events. More info: www.tmaflorida.org or contact Chapter Administrator Tabitha Moore at (954) 653-2484.

Event Sponsors:

 Renaissance Partners LLC

Turnaround and Retail Consultants 

 

 

 

                 

 

 

 

U.S. Economy-The Real Truth

Ft. Lauderdale (May 10, 2012) –Florida TMA announces a special South Florida event focused on issues affecting the current and future economic situation. Well known economist Sanford J. “Sandy” Leeds will discuss the growing U.S. debt, entitlement programs, taxes, health care, politics and shorter-term issues such as GDP growth and unemployment.“Sandy Leeds is a must-see analyst, economist and financial professional who offers objective views on the U.S. economy.”

Sanford J. Leeds, Esq., CFA

President, MBA Investment Fund, LLC
McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin
• MBA, University of Texas Graduate School of Business; JD, University of Virginia School of Law

Leeds is a faculty member at The University of Texas and President of The MBA Investment Fund, L.L.C. He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses, is a member of the Texas State Bar and is a Chartered Financial Analyst. Leeds serves on the Investment Committee of The Austin Community Foundation. Previously, he managed investments for a private money management firm with $1.6 billion of assets, and in his legal career conducted jury/bench trials including those affecting the securities industry and hearings involving the Sterling Foster $75 million fraud case. He advises on financial related litigation involving options, hedge funds, and other matters.

At McCombs School of Business, Leeds also teaches in the Dallas Executive MBA and International General Management programs. The recipient of numerous teaching awards, he makes presentations to various U.S. organizations and publishes weekly at www.leedsonfinance.com.

Wednesday, May 16th, 5:30pm
Riverside Hotel
620 East Las Olas Blvd
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301
$45 for TMA and Guest organization Members
$55 Non-Members
Visit www.tmaflorida.org for information and registration

 

 

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