Research Topic

Dallas -- Survey results released Monday by Alliance Data Retail Services found that many mothers are tapping into their mobile phones’ capabilities to help with their hectic lives, whether via text, tag or talk.

PAWTUCKET, R.I. — Strength in the games category enabled Hasbro to increase first quarter revenues by 2% to $664 million compared to $649 million for the same period last year. 

First quarter revenues were negatively affected by $3 million due to the impact of foreign exchange and one less week in the reporting period. The first quarter 2013 was a 13-week period compared to the first quarter 2012, which was a 14-week period.

CORTE MADERA, Calif. — Restoration Hardware Holdings Inc. reported Friday a loss of $28.4 million for the quarter ended Feb. 2, compared with a profit of $24 million in the year-ago period. Results, impacted by costs associated with the company’s November 2012 IPO, edged analysts’ expectations.

Revenue surged 30% to $398.1 million from $305.2 million last year, beating Wall Street’s forecast of $390.5 million. Same-store sales advanced a hefty 26%.

Oak Brook, Ill. -- McDonald's Corp. reported Friday that net income for the quarter ended March 31 rose about 1% to $1.27 billion, from $1.26 billion last year. Total revenue also rose 1%, to $6.6 billion from $6.5 billion.

Same-store sales dipped, however, impacted said McDonald’s by a tightened eating-out environment during the quarter.

At home, same-store sales dipped 1.2%.

DALLAS — First quarter 2013 net sales at Kimberly-Clark Corporation rose by a little more than 1% to $5.3 billion compared to the same period last year. The company posted record profits, up 12% to $783 million from $700 million in the same quarter last year.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Key Mattel brands drove Mattel sales for the first quarter of 2013. 

Mattel's net sales for the quarter were $996 million, up 7% compared to $928 million last year, and net income increased dramatically to $38.5 million, or $0.11 per share, compared to last year's first quarter net income of $7.8 million, or $0.02 per share.

A Web site affiliated with noted television investment pundit Jim Cramer has reiterated its buy recommendation on shares of Walmart.

TheStreet.com rated Walmart A+ and said the company’s strengths can be seen in areas such as revenue growth, notable return on equity, solid stock price performance, growth in earnings per share and net income.

"We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company shows weak operating cash flow," according to the TheStreet.

London -- A Thursday report by Bloomberg said that retail sales in the U.K. fell a more-than-expected 0.8% (excluding fuel) in March compared to February, impacted by unseasonably cold weather and a still-sluggish economy.