Finance & Capital Management

Target CFO John Mulligan ably represented the company in testimony before a Senate committee on Tuesday, but the one in the hot seat should have been chairman, president and CEO Gregg Steinhafel.
 
Recall when the nation’s bankrupt automakers needed a bailout, it was the CEOs of General Motors and Chrysler who appeared before legislators. And when big banks came under fire for their role in the housing crisis it was the financial firms’ CEOs who endured lawmakers pointed questions.

Oklahoma City -- Hobby Lobby announced it will open 70 stores throughout the United States in 2014, for a total of 625 locations nationwide.

The arts and crafts retailer said that as part of its expansion it will enter the states of Vermont and Oregon this year.
 

Anheuser-Busch plans to purchase Blue Point Brewing Co., one of the nation's top craft brewers with more than 40 beers and sales concentrated along the East Coast. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Blue Point was founded by Mark Burford and Peter Cotter 15 years ago in Patchogue, N.Y., where the brewery will continue to operate. Anheuser-Busch also plans to invest in the brewery to grow its operational capabilities and enhance the consumer experience in the next few years.

CVS Caremark claimed the healthcare high ground by discontinuing the sales of tobacco products but the move comes with a steep price as the company said it will lose $2 billion in revenue and experienced a 17 cents a share profits impact.
 

By John Mulligan, executive VP and CFO, Target

Sidney, Neb. - Cabela’s Inc. has named Donna M. Milrod to its board of directors. Milrod has been the chief administrative officer of The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) since October 2012, with responsibilities for DTCC’s finance, operations, regulatory relations, business continuity, vendor management, and security functions.

Inclement weather was not enough to keep Walgreens from posting January sales of $6.4 billion, an increase of 3.7% as compared to the year-ago period.

Total front-end sales increased 2.4% compared with the same month in fiscal 2013, while comparable store front-end sales increased 1.6%. Customer traffic in comparable stores decreased 2.2% while basket size increased 3.8%.

Tampa, Fla. — RMC Real Estate Services recorded a transaction volume of $79.5 million in 2013, encompassing 1.4 million sq. ft. within its RMC Property Group and RMC Ross Realty divisions. Leasing activity included 279 transactions, encompassing 905,000 sq. ft., valued at a total of $49.1 million. Investment activity closed 20 deals for $30.4 million, spanning 532,000 sq. ft.