Why Sears' Shares Fell Off a Cliff

Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of struggling retailer Sears (NAS: SHLD) fell 18% today, after a terrible earnings report.

So what: Revenue fell 6%, to $8.86 billion, and the company reported an adjusted loss of $1.99 per share. Management tried to put a positive spin on some of the numbers, pointing to a 20% jump in online sales and improving apparel and appliance sales, but the bottom line is that Sears is really struggling.

Now what: The experiment that is a Sears and Kmart combo is falling apart before our eyes. A retailer's worst nightmare is falling sales and, on a company level, I don't see a lot of bright spots. This stock has a "Do Not Touch" sign on it and, unless there's an unforeseen turnaround, I don't see that changing any time soon.

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The article Why Sears' Shares Fell Off a Cliff originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Travis Hoium has no positions in the stocks mentioned above. You can follow Travis on Twitter at @FlushDrawFool, check out his personal stock holdings, or follow his CAPS picks at TMFFlushDraw. The Motley Fool has no positions in the stocks mentioned above. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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