Sport Chalet Inc. Message Board

Thanks for the insight. I agree that this company looks solid. I heard the CEO speak on Bloomberg and he seemed sharp. Modern office arrangements is a great place to be in a continuing recovering economy. Nice dividend too.

Sentiment: Buy

The $3 dividend is becoming urban folklore. It was "mentioned" once, but then nothing official? I can't find any, "$3 per share special dividend to be paid on X date." Is management just trying to support the stock price prior to split? Nothing like announcing a $3 special dividend to keep everyone hanging around for the split.

I share your concerns about understanding OKE's valuation. Everyone on the board seems to be delighted to have been along for the ride. I am up 73% in not even a year and a half (not including dividends) and am thinking it may be prudent to take some money off the table. The old saying, "no one ever went broke taking profits."

I have owned SLE for over 20 years. Did well in the late 80's/early '90's but has been troubled ever since. I'm out of patience. Get a bidding war going and let's say goodbye to Sara.

So what is going on? Lots of volume lately and some pretty significant movements. Something is definitely up.

Agree with you completely. Sara Lee should leave the acquisitions to the companies with competent management. If someone is kind enough to buy a business from Sara, Sara should be kind enough to share that money with shareholders. I don't want Brenda to go out and buy and then manage somebody elses business. Not what they're good at.

Interesting post. Do you have any details of what they did to lighten the SG&A load? I have always admired SPCH's good service with knowledgeable people, but I have to say I have never seen an organization with as many people per customer on floor. I imagine the back offices of G&A are similarly lushly staffed. Or apparently they WERE . . .

Yes, I too have been scratching my head recently over this recently occurring discrepancy. I don't get why the A and B shares are diverging from their historical parity all of a sudden. However, it has always seemed to me that the B shares were inherently more valuable due to the voting rights issue. Why would anyone prefer a non-voting (eg."A") share over a voting (B) share? Of course if there are no dividends to be had and insiders still control SPCH in totality it probably doesn't matter anyway.

As a long time SPCH holder, like many I am very encouraged by the recent price (semi) recovery. Encouraging article, but as a So. Cal. resident, I am very skeptical about any local recovery being based on an easing of a recession. At best, this SPCH critical market is possibly within sight of a gruesome market bottom - but it ain't there yet. I seriously doubt there will be any mid/short term economic recovery in the Golden state. Just ask Arnold and the CA legislature. BTW - will SPCH accept a CA IOU for an in-store purchase?

Dick's purchase of Chicks Sporting Goods is the final nail in this companies coffin. Could have sold to Dick's for good money a couple of years ago, but these adolescents decided they would go it alone and enjoy all the glory. Now it is hopeless. Mr. Levera is a good operations guy but an incompetent capitalist. I'd let him manage my Dick's store, but would forbid him from making any corporate decisions.

I went to the SPCH store in South Coast Plaza today (30th) and it was pretty slow - only a few people in the store and only buying a few cheaper items. Sport Chalet was bustling, however compared to Macy's where the Men's store was almost empty - more employees than customers.

Interesting point since it is snowing up a storm here in So. Cal. Still, the store I frequent seems not so busy and the CA economy is near depression. Hopefully, however, the total value of the SPCH franchise will be so low someone will buck up for the footprint.

This is classic capitulation. The oil play is out of favor, sellers are pannicked, shorts are making great money and no one has the cajones to buy. No one can find any reason to own oil whatsoever. If oil goes down to $75/bbl, these companies represent tremendous values at these prices. Might as well strap in at this point. If there is a great depression, we got bigger problems than the price of oil.