Omar Saad, Credit Suisse

NIKE, Inc. (NKE) - Omar Saad at Credit Suisse

Nike, the world's largest sports shoe and clothing business, on Thursday pledged to continue using marketing relationships with leading athletes to build its brands, as it restated its support for Tiger Woods, the troubled golf superstar. Mark Parker, 

Hanesbrands Inc (HBI) - Omar Saad at Credit Suisse

(Reuters) , Shares of Hanesbrands Inc rose as much as 8 percent on Thursday, a day after the company's quarterly profit topped market estimates and it said retail shelf space and distribution gains are expected to add about 5 percent sales growth in 2010. 'Given that Hanesbrands ( HBI , news , people ) sales are down 10 percent year to date and forecast to fall roughly 5 percent in the fourth quarter, this would represent a dramatic turn of events,' Credit Suisse ( CS , news , people ) analyst Omar Saad wrote in a note to clients.  

Sara Lee Corporation (SLE) - Omar Saad at Credit Suisse

(Reuters) , Shares of Hanesbrands Inc rose as much as 8 percent on Thursday, a day after the company's quarterly profit topped market estimates and it said retail shelf space and distribution gains are expected to add about 5 percent sales growth in 2010. 'Given that Hanesbrands ( HBI , news , people ) sales are down 10 percent year to date and forecast to fall roughly 5 percent in the fourth quarter, this would represent a dramatic turn of events,' Credit Suisse ( CS , news , people ) analyst Omar Saad wrote in a note to clients.  

Guess?, Inc. (GES) - Omar Saad at Credit Suisse

Standard and Poor's Equity Research, which raised the company to "buy" from "hold," sees above average growth for the brand through 2012. "We believe Guess remains one of the most appealing longer term business models..with even further margin and top line drivers when the consumer returns," said Brean Murray Carret's Eric Beder, who raised his price target on the stock to $39 from $33. Wedbush Morgan analyst Betty Chen expects strengthening business momentum in North America retail, expansion in Europe and increased penetration in Asia, coupled with solid expense and inventory control, to help Guess deliver earnings above consensus. Receding currency headwinds and easier comparable sales and margin comparisons ahead suggest that the company "could be setting up nicely for more big earnings beats in the second half of 2009," Credit Suisse analyst Omar Saad said. On Wednesday, Guess, best known for its denims, forecast third quarter earnings between 46 and 49 cents per share, on revenue between $465 million and $485 million (Editing by Anne Pallivathuckal) 

Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation (RL) - Omar Saad at Credit Suisse

Ralph Lauren Price Target Raised to $65 at Credit Suisse By Chip Brian, SmarTrend Analytics Team Credit Suisse analyst Omar Saad raised his fiscal 2010 EPS estimate for Polo Ralph Lauren ( NYSE:RL ) to $3.60 from $3.20 and raised his price target on RL shares from $50 to $65. Consensus estimates are for EPS of $3.49. Earlier today, Ralph Lauren reported fiscal Q4 EPS estimates of 44 cents (86 cents ex items), topping consensus estimates by 4 cents. Write to the SmarTrend News Desk at editor@tradethetrend.com . 

Deckers Outdoor Corporation (DECK) - Omar Saad at Credit Suisse

Meanwhile, short interest on the shares is also climbing. The number of DECK shares sold short rose by 35% during the past month, and now accounts for a respectable 18.6% of the stock's available float. Credit Suisse also boarded the security's bearish bandwagon this morning, when the brokerage firm initiated coverage of DECK with an "underperform" rating and a $45 price target. which represents a discount of 22% to Thursday's close. In a note to clients, analyst Omar Saad warned that DECK's flagship Ugg brand, which accounts for 84% of sales, could see shipment growth decline in 2010.  

NIKE, Inc. (NKE) - Omar Saad at Credit Suisse

In the past, the company was not known for frugality. "Nike's sports marketing strategy looking backwards was a little bit more free-spending than it will be moving forward," said Paul Swangard, managing director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center, an academic arm of the University of Oregon. Omar Saad, an analyst with Credit Suisse, wrote in a research note Wednesday that Nike was at the beginning of a longer-term restructuring that would extend beyond job cuts.  

Hanesbrands Inc (HBI) - Omar Saad at Credit Suisse

For Hanesbrands Inc. , the Winston Salem, North Carolina, maker of Hanes and Champion clothing, every 1-cent rise in the price of cotton lowers profit before interest and taxes by about $3.5 million, according to estimates by Omar Saad . , a Credit Suisse analyst in New York. Hanesbrands may pay 73 cents a pound for cotton during the first quarter, compared with an estimated 66-cent average for 2008, Saad said in a Nov. 12 report. 

General Motors Corporation (MTLQQ) - Omar Saad at Credit Suisse

(GM) recently cut short Tiger Woods' Buick endorsement, which Credit Suisse analyst Omar Saad calls "an important inflection point" in the era of expensive endorsements. Nike spends half its marketing dollars on such lavish deals, and Saad thinks "any meaningful deflation of this rather large P&L item. -- typically 5% to 7% of sales. -- could be an extremely positive catalyst for the athletic sector." . 

Liz Claiborne, Inc. (LIZ) - Omar Saad at Credit Suisse

NEW YORK (Associated Press) - Shares of Liz Claiborne Inc slipped on Monday, as an analyst trimmed his price target on the apparel maker and said fourth-quarter results may come in worse than expected as consumer spending remains soft. On Friday, Liz Claiborne lowered its profit outlook for the fourth quarter and full-year below Wall Street expectations and warned that consumer spending is softening. The company also said it expects third-quarter earnings between 37 cents and 42 cents, compared with the 38 per share estimate expected by analysts polled by Thomson Reuters. Credit Suisse analyst Omar Saad said the company's disclosure of certain cash flow and balance sheet metrics should "help calm investor fears that it will violate debt covenants, which would make funding its operations more costly and potentially even lead to bankruptcy." .  

Jones Apparel Group, Inc. (JNY) - Omar Saad at Credit Suisse

Credit Suisse analyst Omar Saad says less than three months after posting an $0.08 EPS surprise, Jones Apparel Group ( JNY ) preannounced third quarter EPS $0.18 below consensus and cut $1.20-$1.35 2008 EPS view to $0.93-$0.98, citing deteriorating retail environment, lower September comps, expectations for high promotional activity in the fourth quarter. Saad says while this quarter's trends disappointed even his own low forecasts, the environment could become even worse than management embedded in its updated guidance.