Business Analytics

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%.

By Gregg Clark, [email protected]

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.

Cleveland-based Sherwin-Williams Co. reported a sales increase of 1.4% in the first quarter ended March 31, thanks to higher volume in the Paint Stores Group.

Net income increased 16% to $116.2 million.

The company's consolidated net sales increased 1.4% to $2.17 billion. The Paint Stores Group saw sales increase 4.0% to $1.17 billion in the quarter. The company pointed to higher architectural paint sales volume across all end-market segments. Comp-store sales for paint stores increased 3.2%.

New York -- Sherwin-Williams Co. reported a sales increase of 1.4% in the first quarter ended March 31, thanks to higher volume in the Paint Stores Group. The company expects to open 70 to 80 paint stores in 2013.
Net income increased 16% to $116.2 million.

The company's consolidated net sales increased 1.4% to $2.17 billion. The Paint Stores Group saw sales increase 4.0% to $1.17 billion in the quarter. The company pointed to higher architectural paint sales volume across all end-market segments. Comp-store sales for paint stores increased 3.2%.

Target may not cater to exactly the same shopper as Walmart, but there is enough overlap between the two companies to know that reports of weakness out of Minneapolis are never a good sign in Bentonville.

PURCHASE, N.Y. — PepsiCo reported a net revenue increase of 1% to $12,581 billion from $12,428 billion for the period ended March 23. Its net income declined by slightly more than 1 billion to $1,085 billion from $1,133 billion. 

However, on a constant currency basis, revenue increased 4%. 

Jacksonville, Fla. -- Stein Mart said Wednesday that it has been granted approval to continue its listing on the Nasdaq stock market while it works to secure full compliance with listing requirements.

According to Stein Mart, a panel gave the retailer a thumbs-up to continue the listing, and Nasdaq has given Stein Mart until August to comply with all applicable requirements for continued listing on the exchange.