Dueling Fools
January 6, 1999
Shears to Sears
Sears price (1/5/99): $43 3/8
To those making holiday gift returns, the retail season is far from over. This week we take a look at the harder side of Sears <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE: S)") else Response.Write("(NYSE: S)") end if %>. The department store mainstay has its share of fans and critics -- and we have one of each.
Rick Munarriz (TMF Edible) and Warren Gump (TMF Gump) are the bull and bear respectively this week. Rick thinks the company is ready to put the buck back in Roebuck. Warren on the other hand thinks Sears will sear.
So come on in. This Duel is now open for business.
And don't miss this week's Duel Flashback, where we look back at Planet Hollywood <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE: PHL)") else Response.Write("(NYSE: PHL)") end if %>.
You Get to Vote!
Once you've read the arguments and the rebuttals, it's your time to cast your vote. We'll tabulate results each week and revisit them from time to time to see whether you were right! As always, we invite you to join us in the Dueling Fools Message board to continue the duel.
[Any suggestions, comments, praise, or flames, please send them along to the Dueling Fools Team.]
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The Bull... Back in high school, the first job I ever had was selling maintenance agreements for Sears. It was a hard sell most of the time given the combination of Sears quality and the frugal clientele. But none of the challenges I faced in my youthful telemarketer days can compare to my Sears selling job this week. Continue... |
The Bear... Is there a merry side of Sears? To find the merry side of Sears, I would propose that investors take their money out of Sears stock and place it in companies in the similar industries that have brighter prospects than this retailing dinosaur. This company, which has tried to reinvent itself to become relevant in the lives of customers, appears to have been unsuccessful at the task. Continue... |
Results for last week's 1999 Duel
| Answer | Percentage |
| I can't make up my mind | 7% |
| TMF Max's Bull argument |
33% |
| TMF Edible's Bear argument |
36% |
| They were both excellent |
15% |
| They were both lame |
9% |