MORGAN STANLEY: There's one 'high quality' retail stock ready to pop 15%

pulse

May 17, 2017 10:09 PM

In a note out to clients on Wednesday, Morgan Stanley identified TJX Cos as one of the "few high quality" companies in retail.

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The retail apocalypse has hit brick-and-mortar retailers hard, but a few firms have been able to escape the clutches of the retail Grim Reaper.

TJX Cos, the parent company of discount retailers Marshalls and TJ Maxx, is one such firm.

In a note out to clients on Wednesday, Morgan Stanley identified TJX Cos as one of the "few high quality" companies in retail.

"In our industry, there are few companies that hit the quality screen of a long-term investment," the analysts wrote.

"TJX has delivered positive comps and [earnings per share] growth in each of the last 11 years," they added.

Out of all the firms covered by the bank, only TJX Cos and one other retailer were able to deliver results this strong. The firm also has a strong record of beating the market, according to Morgan Stanley. TJX Cos outperformed the S&P 500 eight out of the last 11 years.

TJX missed first quarter earning expectations on Tuesday and Wall Street responded accordingly. The firm's stock price fell 4%. But Morgan Stanley identified this sell-off as a buying opportunity.

"Heading into the quarter, we knew 1Q was likely to be the softest quarter of the year given the toughest compare since 3Q2017 (+7%) and a challenging February and March drive by unfavorable weather," the bank said.

The bank thinks earnings growth will accelerate in the next quarter thanks to a decline in cost of labor and distribution.

As such, the bank views the firm's current stock price as an "attractive" place for investors to get their skin in the game. The bank currently has a $86 price target for the retailer, 14.6% higher than the current share price.

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