Out Fox The $treet

The recent negative reaction to the Lands' End  ( NASDAQ: LE     ) spin-off from Sears Holdings Corporation ( NASDAQ: SHLD     ) has unfolded similarly to traditional spin-offs in the past. The market continues to focus on the past results of Lands' End to justify its current valuation while at the same time it has overly focused on the company's connection to Sears Holdings. Lands' End is a specialty retailer that mainly focuses on web and catalog sales. Sears bought the company back in 2002 for $1.9 billion in cash. Over the years Sears started placing Lands' End stores within its department stores, but this hasn't helped stop the recent slides in revenue for either retailer. Read full article here . Disclosure: Long LE and SHLD. Please read the disclaimer page for details.

The transformation of Sears Holdings ( NASDAQ: SHLD     ) continues to progress with the recent news that the spin off of Lands' End will occur on April 4. The company will trade on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "LE." The move has long been speculated by investors who have been awaiting Sears Holdings' divestment of non-core retail operations stuck within the giant conglomerate. Based on Lands' End's recent results, it appears that this move isn't happening soon enough. While many investors fret over Sears unloading a profitable business unit, the stalled growth at Lands' End suggests the retailer needs to regain its own identity and capital structure to prosper. Read the full article here . Disclosure: Long SHLD. Please review the disclaimer page for more details. 

In a move long expected, Sears Holdings ( NASDAQ: SHLD     ) announced plans to go forward with a spin-off of Lands' End. While a timeline wasn't provided, the announcement comes after a chaotic week for the stock. News of ESL distributing shares to investors and speculation that J.C. Penny Company ( NYSE: JCP     ) is taking back market share hit the stock hard this past week. With Sears Holdings down nearly $20, or roughly 30%, in a few weeks, it is good for long-term investors to take stock of the investment thesis. The important part to be considered is whether these transactions alter the previous investment thesis or whether the moves are only noise that impacts the fringes of any decision. The market has reacted with fear of a cash crunch, but is this fear logical? Read the full article here . Disclosure: Long SHLD. Please review the disclaimer page for more details. 

Though Sears Holdings ( NASDAQ: SHLD     ) soared nearly 12% during the trading session last Tuesday on news of further transformational transactions to unlock value, investors shouldn't be surprised by the announcement. Sears is one of the largest retailers in the U.S., but most investors don't realize the numerous business units that are hidden under the surface. The media has mostly spun the plans for Lands End and Sears Auto Centers, or SAC, as "liquidation moves", but investors should note the proposals don't involve raising cash from these units. Read the article here . Disclosure: Long SHLD. Please review the disclaimer page for more details. 

Never a dull moment with the Sears Holdings (SHLD) stock. As mentioned in several previous posts, Sears has finally begun the process of externalizing brands [See article: Externalizing Brands Could Be Major Catalyst For Stock ] and monetizing assets. Today came news on both fronts. First, reports began flying around that Sears has placed Lands End up for sale at a price tag of nearly $2B. Second, it announced that DieHard has finally released an alkaline version of its very popular automotive battery. Lands End Sale Of course, the market is spinning this potential sale as a desperate move for cash which couldn't be farther from the truth. In fact, shorts should be very concerned if Sears can reach any price close to $2B. Part of that cash could be use annihilate any remaining float making it impossible to cover any remaining shorts [See article: Impossible To Cover ]. According to a CNBC report , Sears would like to continue to license the retailers goods to sale at its ...