Investopedia: SYNNEX - A Rising Player In A Brutal Business

The world has never especially loved middlemen, but it has never found a way to get on without them. In the business world, distributors of IT products like Synnex (NYSE:SNX) have long had to deal with razor-thin margins, ample competition, high working-capital needs and the threat that its customers and suppliers would work together to work around them. Although Synnex has all of these challenges, the company is doing well in growing margins and expanding its non-distribution business.

A Good Close to the End  
There are plenty of worries about the IT space these days, and warnings from companies like Juniper Networks (NYSE:JNPR) and Oracle (Nasdaq:ORCL) are doing little to help matters. When it comes to actually moving product, though, Synnex saw a very good fourth quarter.

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Investopedia: Can Best Buy Find A Relevant Model?

Circuit City? Gone. Borders? Gone. Linens 'N Things? Gone. CompUSA? Gone (though the brand was acquired out of bankruptcy and lives on). So, Best Buy (NYSE:BBY), how ya feeling? Any fever, chills or loss of appetite? With plenty of analysts and commentators fighting over the shovel and the privilege of throwing the next scoop of dirt on its grave, it may surprise some to know that it hasn't actually fallen over. The question, though, is whether the failure of Best Buy is inevitable, preventable or altogether unlikely. (For related reading, see The 4 R's Of Investing In Retail.)  

A Bad Holiday Season?
Best Buy has already announced that U.S. same-store sales were slightly negative for the 2011 holiday season. There was poor performance in gaming, digital imaging and TVs, and solid sales in phones and appliances could not compensate for it. So, once again the question arises as to whether Best Buy can drive sales without deep discounting and whether its business model can withstand high discounting.


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Investopedia: Overreaction May Make Tech Data Worth A Look

When a company operates in an industry with razor-thin margins, even the slightest disappointment can send investors into full flight. That, and a jumpy market to begin with, would seem like the best explanation for why Tech Data (Nasdaq:TECD) shares were punished so severely for what was not exactly a disastrous quarter. Although investors should approach this name with caution, value is value, and Tech Data may be worth a look.

First-Quarter Results - Europe Looking Soft
Tech Data reported that revenue rose 13% for the fiscal first quarter (and fell about 11% on a sequential basis). That missed the average estimate of $6.4 billion, and it seems as though analysts and institutions were particularly concerned about soft European consumer demand. Revenue from Europe rose 14% (in euros) from last year's level (and 18% in dollars), but it fell 18% on a sequential basis and looked to be weaker than expected by 2-4%. Business in the Americas was likewise better on a year-over-year basis (up 6%), but weaker than analysts had forecast.


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