The SJC 25 Stock Report, March 4, 2012

Editor's note  – In this feature, we check on the health of the Fortune 500 companies that have a presence in San Juan Capistrano. 

All eyes were on Wall Street as the the but ultimately retreated just a sketch.

I still say they should be watching the SJC Patch 25. The Dow was up 2.5 percent on the week. We were up 3.71. Year-to-date, we're up 9.33 percent, the S&P is up 8.91 and the Dow is up 6.21. And you get this insight for free! 

(Yes, we do realize it's a coincidence. ... Or is it?)

Citicorp had a big week, and got a new chairman, if you're the type that likes to keep track. JPMorgan was up 6.14 percent. But Rite Aid had the best week, up 8.44 percent.

Lots of earning news ...

Costco reported earnings quarterly earnings of 90 cents a share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 88 cents, and is up 13.9 percent from 79 cents earned in the prior-year quarter, according to Zacks. Costco's stock price was up 2.17 percent on the week, which is big for this steady-as-she-goes stock. 

PetSmart also did well, reporting quarterly earnings of 91 cents a share, an 18 percent jump from 77 cents delivered in the year-ago period, Zacks said. It's stock was up 1.28 percent on the week.

Radio Shack announced this week its profit at 12 cents a share. Comparable store sales for the company-operated stores and kiosks (stores and kiosks opened at least a year) increased 2.2 percent year over year, Zacks reported. Its stock has pretty much been in the tank, decreasing another 3.2 percent this week and losing almost 42 percent in the last six months. Ouch.

Kroger reported a net loss of $306.9 million, or 54 cents per share, for the fourth quarter ended Jan. 28, compared with a year-earlier profit of $278.8 million, or 44 cents per share. Still, that was better than expected, according to Reuters.

Sempra Energy's fourth-quarter earnings rose 3.9 percent as the natural-gas distributor and market posted strong growth at its San Diego Gas & Electric utility and the company's pipelines and storage segment, reported the Wall Street Journal.

That number did beat expectations. Sempra reported a profit of $294 million, or $1.21 a share, up from $283 million, or $1.15 a share, a year earlier. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters most recently projected earnings of $1.06, the Journal said.

Staples' total company sales for the fourth quarter of 2011 increased 1 percent, to $6.5 billion compared to the fourth quarter of 2010, according to MarketWatch. Its stock moved up in tandem, a meak half-percent on the week.

Some Business Briefs for You:

Wow, I don't need to check the wires to see what our SJC Patch 25 companies are up to. They're busy right here in our humble town.

Last week, I a remodel at the on Plaza Drive. It's for a new ice cream counter, for joy! So we will have our choice between two Rite Aids to get our cheapie cones, one of life's great, almost-guilty pleasures.

The new may have , but it partied like it was Feb. 9 again at a grand opening celebration this past week. You can see the photos .

San Diego Gas & Electric, a Sempra Energy company, found a to support its efforts to . The about the project, which includes demolishing a historic building, but in the end, it doesn't have any approval power over the project.

 Ticker 

  % Change

 on the Week 

  +3.17

– Financial data provided by Google Finance