Top 5 Retail Companies To Buy Right Now

After four months of looking, Build-A-Bear (NYSE: BBW  ) has found-a-CEO.

After close of trading Monday, Build-A-Bear Workshop announced it has chosen Sharon Price John to become its new Chief Executive Officer and Chief President Bear. She will replace outgoing Chief Executive Bear�(the cute titles are undergoing a bit of a change) Maxine Clark, company founder, who announced her own intention to retire back in February.

John comes to Build-A-Bear from Wolverine Worldwide, where she has served as president of the kid-focused Stride Rite division. Prior to that, she held positions at Mattel and Hasbro -- also good training grounds for a position at Build-A-Bear. As Build-A-Bear's non-executive Chairman Mary Lou Fiala noted, "Sharon possesses a deep knowledge of the toy industry and the retail landscape and has a proven ability to assess brands and create a strategy that generates sales and profitability growth."

Top 5 Retail Companies To Buy Right Now: McDonald's Corporation(MCD)

McDonald?s Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a worldwide foodservice retailer. It franchises and operates McDonald?s restaurants that offer various food items, soft drinks, coffee, and other beverages. As of December 31, 2009, the company operated 32,478 restaurants in 117 countries, of which 26,216 were operated by franchisees; and 6,262 were operated by the company. McDonald?s Corporation was founded in 1948 and is based in Oak Brook, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jeff Reeves]

  McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) isn’t quite as dramatic as Apple when it comes to stock performance. The company has “only” doubled since 2007 and “only” tripled since 2005 — compared with 330% gains since 2007 and 900% gains since 2005 for Apple.

  But you have to admit, those gains still are incredibly impressive — especially for a mammoth blue chip like McDonald’s that is dominant worldwide.

  Also worth consideration is the fact that, since 2007, McDonald’s has paid dividends totaling $9.26 per share. Since McDonald’s stock was trading around $45 four years ago, that means on top of doubling your money via the share appreciation, you would have gotten back about 20% of your initial investment via dividends alone. Or if you reinvested those funds, you really could have supercharged your returns even more.

  Looking forward, McDonald’s shows no signs of slowing down. It has surpassed analysts’ expectations in?four of its past five earnings reports, most recently with second-quarter numbers boasting a 15% increase in profits. While its revenue has risen at a modest 3.6% annual rate during the past five years, net income has surged at a 14.6% annual rate — proving MCD can maintain margins and grow profits even if sales don’t soar.

  McDonald’s, like Apple, knows how to deliver small-cap gains despite its blue-chip size. That makes this pick a keeper.

Top 5 Retail Companies To Buy Right Now: Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.(BBBY)

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates a chain of retail stores. It sells a range of domestic merchandise, such as bed linens and related items, bath items, and kitchen textiles; and home furnishings, including kitchen and tabletop items, fine tabletop, basic housewares, general home furnishings, consumables, and certain juvenile products. The company also offers giftware, household products, and health and beauty care items; and infant and toddler merchandise. It operates stores under the names of Bed Bath & Beyond (BBB), Christmas Tree Shops (CTS), Harmon and Harmon Face Values (Harmon), and buybuy BABY. As of August 27, 2011, the company had a total of 1,155 stores, including 986 BBB stores, 70 CTS stores, 54 buybuy BABY stores, and 45 Harmon stores in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Canada. It also operates two stores under the name of Home & More in the Mexico City through a joint venture. Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. was foun ded in 1971 and is based in Union, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Kevin M. O'Brien]

  What happens with Netflix (NFLX) in 2012 is certainly going to be very interesting. This stock saw one of the quickest falls in recent memory in 2011. At one point, Netflix was trading over $300.00/share. In the span of a couple of months, the stock was well under $100.00/share.

  Currently trading at $70.97/share, the debate on where this stock is going will continue in 2012. My recommendation is to be very careful if you choose to short this stock. While I am not necessarily bullish on this stock, it is a very dangerous stock to only take a downside position with.

Hot Paper Companies To Watch In Right Now: Sonic Automotive Inc.(SAH)

Sonic Automotive, Inc. operates as an automotive retailer in the United States. It engages in the sale of new and used cars, light trucks, and replacement parts; provision of vehicle maintenance, warranty repair, paint, and collision repair services; and arrangement of extended service contracts, financing, insurance, and other aftermarket products. As of December 31, 2011, the company operated 119 dealerships representing 30 brands of cars and light trucks, and 23 collision repair centers in 15 states. The company was founded in 1997 and is based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Top 5 Retail Companies To Buy Right Now: Yum! Brands Inc.(YUM)

YUM! Brands, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a quick service restaurant company in the United States and internationally. It develops, operates, franchises, and licenses a system of restaurants, which prepare, package, and sell various food items, as well as operates Chinese casual dining concept restaurants. The company?s restaurants specialize in chicken, pizza, and Mexican-style food categories. It operates approximately 37,000 restaurants in 110 countries and territories under the KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell brands, as well as approximately 450 casual dining concept restaurants in China. The company was formerly known as TRICON Global Restaurants, Inc. and changed its name to YUM! Brands, Inc. in May 2002. YUM! Brands, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Gorban]

   Fellow fast food giant Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM) serves as a nice stock to diversify with one’s McDonald’s holding to take away company specific risk, and it is no slouch in size. Operating three very well-known restaurants (KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell) that in total comprised an even more impressive 38,000 restaurants as of November 29, 2012 and a market capitalization exceeding $30 billion, investors can feel comfortable that the company will continue to withstand the current economic recession. Add in the fact that the company sports a nice 2% dividend yield and with a very low 34% payout ratio, look for that dividend to continue to be raised.

Top 5 Retail Companies To Buy Right Now: CVS Corporation(CVS)

CVS Caremark Corporation operates as a pharmacy services company in the United States. The company?s Pharmacy Services segment provides a range of pharmacy benefit management services, including mail order pharmacy services, specialty pharmacy services, plan design and administration, formulary management, and claims processing; and drug benefits to eligible beneficiaries under the Federal Government?s Medicare Part D program. This segment primarily serves employers, insurance companies, unions, government employee groups, managed care organizations and other sponsors of health benefit plans, and individuals. As of December 31, 2010, it operated 44 retail specialty pharmacy stores, 18 specialty mail order pharmacies, and 4 mail service pharmacies located in 25 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. This segment operates business under the CVS Caremark Pharmacy Services, Caremark, CVS Caremark, CarePlus CVS/pharmacy, CarePlus, RxAmerica, Accordant, and TheraCom names. The company?s Retail Pharmacy segment sells prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, beauty products and cosmetics, seasonal merchandise, greeting cards, and convenience foods through its pharmacy retail stores and online, as well as offers film and photo finishing, and health care services. This segment operated 7,182 retail drugstores located in 41 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia; and 560 retail health care clinics in 26 states and the District of Columbia under the MinuteClinic name. It has a strategic alliance with Alere, L.L.C. for the management of disease management program offerings that cover chronic diseases, such as asthma, diabetes, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease. CVS Caremark Corporation was founded in 1892 and is based in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.