10 Best Retail Stocks To Buy Right Now

On this day in economic and business history...

The first official recognition of Mother's Day occurred nearly a century ago, when on May 9, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May would thereafter be a time to celebrate all things motherly. Dreamed up years earlier, the holiday gained legitimacy after Anna Jarvis mounted a spirited campaign to gain recognition, first as an American holiday and ultimately a global event. Jarvis also helped originate the tradition of giving and wearing carnation flowers on Mother's Day, in honor of the mother she'd lost and hoped to commemorate.

Mother's Day has since grown into one of the most heavily commercialized holidays on the calendar, and this process was so rapid and pronounced that it turned Jarvis herself against her own holiday. In our time, the National Retail Federation estimates that nearly $19 billion will be spent each Mother's Day. Here's where most of that money goes:

$2.2 billion on flowers $1.6 billion on clothing and accessories $1.6 billion on electronics (give Mom a tablet this year) $3.4 billion on dining out $1.8 billion on gift cards $1.3 billion on personal services (spa treatments and the like)

Unfortunately, Hallmark is private, but United Online� (NASDAQ: UNTD  ) , the owner of Florists' Transworld Delivery, might be your best bet for investing in the Mother's Day spending spree. If you really want to give Mom a gift that keeps on giving, look elsewhere -- with the right dividend stock, she'll be able to buy her own flowers each year, but shares of United Online�have fallen 20% in the last five years.

Top Regional Bank Companies To Invest In 2015: Arch Therapeutics Inc (ARTH)

Arch Therapeutics, Inc. (Arch), formerly Almah, Inc., incorporated on September 16, 2009, operates as a life science company developing polymers containing peptides intended to form gel-like barriers over wounds to stop or control bleeding. Arch is a medical device company offering an approach to the rapid cessation of bleeding (hemostasis) and control of fluid leakage (sealant) during surgery and trauma care. Arch�� products are in preclinical development. The first product, AC5, is designed for hemostasis in minimally invasive (laparoscopic) and open surgical procedures.

AC5

AC5 is a synthetic peptide consisting of naturally occurring amino acids. When squirted or sprayed onto a wound, AC5 intercalates into the nooks and crannies of the connective tissue where it builds itself into a physical, mechanical structure. That structure provides a barrier to leaking substances, including blood and other bodily fluids, regardless of type of surgery or, based on early data, clotting ability.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  When traders think of post-surgical wound management stocks, they may first think of names like Cytomedix, Inc. (OTCBB:CMXI) or Alliqua Inc. (OTCMKTS:ALQA). And well they should. Both companies have something of a history in the arena. ALQA is the purveyor of SilverSeal and Hydress antibiotic bandages, while CMXI is the developer of the AutoloGel system, which induces an affected patient's on body to do what it's supposed to do if there's a wound that won't heal. Cytomedix also makes the Angel platelet-rich plasma (PRP) delivery system. There's a relatively new name to add to the list of game-changing stocks in wound-management industry, however.... Arch Therapeutics Inc. (OTCBB:ARTH). The company is developing - well, has developed - a product called AC5 that nips post-surgical bleeding in the bud, largely negating the need for other post-surgical bleeding-control measures.

10 Best Retail Stocks To Buy Right Now: Pier 1 Imports Inc (PIR)

Pier 1 Imports, Inc. (Pier 1 Imports), incorporated in April 30, 1986, is a global importer of imported decorative home furnishings and gifts. As of March 2, 2013, the Company had 1,062 stores in the United States and Canada. During the fiscal year ended March 2, 2013 (fiscal 2013), the Company opened 22 new Pier 1 Imports stores and closed 12 stores. The Company operates regional distribution center facilities in or near Baltimore, Maryland; Columbus, Ohio; Fort Worth, Texas; Ontario, California; Savannah, Georgia, and Tacoma, Washington. The specialty retail operations of the Company consist of retail stores and e-Commerce operations conducting business under the name Pier 1 Imports, which sell a range of furniture, decorative home furnishings, dining and kitchen goods, candles, gifts and other specialty items for the home.

As of March 2, 2013, the Company operated 982 Pier 1 Imports stores in the United States and 80 Pier 1 Imports stores in Canada. During fiscal 2013, the Company supplied merchandise and licensed the Pier 1 Imports name to Grupo Sanborns, which sold Pier 1 Imports merchandise primarily in a store within a store format in 49 Sears Mexico stores and one store in El Salvador. The stores consist of freestanding units located near shopping centers or malls and in-line positions in major shopping centers. Pier 1 Imports operates in all major United States metropolitan areas and many of the primary smaller markets.

Decorative Accessories

This merchandise group constitutes the range of category of merchandise in Pier 1 Imports��sales mix. These items are imported primarily from Asian and European countries, as well as some domestic sources. This merchandise group includes decorative accents, lamps, vases, dried and artificial flowers, baskets, ceramics, dinnerware, bath and fragrance products, candles, seasonal and gift items.

Furniture

This merchandise group consists of furniture and furniture cushions to be used in livin! g, dining, office, kitchen and bedroom areas, sunrooms and on patios. Also included in this group are wall decorations and mirrors. These goods are imported from a variety of countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Brazil, Thailand, China, the Philippines, India and Indonesia, and are also obtained from domestic sources. This merchandise group is made of metal or handcrafted natural materials, including rattan, pine, beech, rubberwood and selected hardwoods with either natural, stained, painted or upholstered finishes.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Nick Taborek]

  Pier 1 Imports Inc. (PIR) plunged 11 percent to $21.11. The home furnishings retailer cut its earnings forecast for the year after second-quarter profit fell short of analysts��predictions. Same-store sales increased 3.5 percent in the quarter, compared with the average analyst estimate of 6.5 percent.

10 Best Retail Stocks To Buy Right Now: AutoNation Inc (AN)

AutoNation, Inc. (AutoNation), incorporated on May 30, 1991, is an automotive retailer in the United States. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had three operating segments: Domestic, Import, and Premium Luxury. As of December 31, 2011, it owned and operated 258 new vehicle franchises from 215 stores located in the United States, predominantly in metropolitan markets in the Sunbelt region. Its stores sell 32 different brands of new vehicles. The core brands of vehicles that it sells, representing approximately 90% of the new vehicles that it sold during the year ended December 31, 2011, was manufactured by Ford, Toyota, Nissan, General Motors, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Chrysler. The Company offers a diversified range of automotive products and services, including new vehicles, used vehicles, parts and automotive repair and maintenance services , and automotive finance and insurance products, which includes the arranging of financing for vehicle purchases through third-party finance sources. The Company retailed approximately 400,000 new and used vehicles through its stores in 2011. It acquired one automotive retail franchise and related assets during 2011.

Domestic segment consists of retail automotive franchises that sell new vehicles manufactured by General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler. Its Import segment is comprised of retail automotive franchises that sell new vehicles manufactured primarily by Toyota, Honda, and Nissan. Its Premium Luxury segment is consists of retail automotive franchises that sell new vehicles manufactured primarily by Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Lexus. The franchises in each segment also sells used vehicles, parts and automotive repair and maintenance services, and automotive finance and insurance products. For the year ended December 31, 2011, Domestic revenue represented 34% of total revenue, Import revenue represented 37% of total revenue, and Premium Luxury revenue represented 28% of total revenue. Corporate and other is consist of its other businesses, incl! uding collision centers, e-commerce activities, and an auction operation, each of which generates revenues, as well as unallocated corporate overhead expenses and retrospective commissions for certain financing and insurance transactions that it arranges under agreements with third parties.

The Company�� stores acquires vehicles for retail sale either directly from the applicable automotive manufacturer or distributor or through dealer trades with other stores of the same franchise. it acquires used vehicles from customer trade-ins, auctions, lease terminations, and other sources. It recondition used vehicles acquired for retail sale at its stores��service facilities and capitalize costs related thereto as used vehicle inventory. Through its VVOs, which are located on existing store facilities, it sells vehicles that it would have traditionally wholesaled with an average retail price lower than that of used vehicles it typically retail. Used vehicles that the Company do not sell at its stores or VVOs generally are sold at wholesale prices through auctions.

The Company offers a variety of automotive finance and insurance products to its customers. The Company arranges for its customers to finance vehicles through installment loans or leases with third-party lenders, including the vehicle manufacturers��and distributors��captive finance subsidiaries, in exchange for a commission payable to the Company. It also offers its customers various vehicle protection products, including extended service contracts, maintenance programs, guaranteed auto protection (GAP, this protection covers the shortfall between a customer�� loan balance and insurance payoff in the event of a casualty), tire and wheel protection, and theft protection products. The vehicle protection products that its stores offers to customers are underwritten and administered by independent third parties, including the vehicle manufacturers��and distributors��captive finance subsidiaries. The Company sells t! he produc! ts on a straight commission basis; however, it also participate in future underwriting profit for certain products pursuant to retrospective commission arrangements. Commissions that it receives from these third-party providers may be subject to chargeback, in full or in part, if products that it sells, such as extended service contracts, are cancelled. Its stores also provide a range of vehicle maintenance, repair, paint, and collision repair services, including warranty work that can be performed only at franchised dealerships and customer-pay service work. The Company has entered into framework agreements with vehicle manufacturers and distributors. It operates each of its new vehicle stores under a franchise agreement with a vehicle manufacturer or distributor.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Miles Weiss]

  Lampert, who took over as chief executive officer at Sears in February, distributed stock in the retailer rather than cash to investors exiting his fund, forcing him to surrender majority control. While such redemptions in kind are rare within the hedge-fund industry, Lampert has used the technique several times, paying investors who want to withdraw their money with shares from his stakes in companies such as AutoZone Inc. (AZO) and AutoNation Inc. (AN)

• [By Rich Smith]

  Automakers' gross sales statistics notwithstanding, it's not always easy to understand how car sales are stacking up in the real world. Nation's largest automotive retailer AutoNation (NYSE: AN  ) knows, and on Tuesday, it announced its latest sales figures for new-car sales for the month of May.

10 Best Retail Stocks To Buy Right Now: O'Reilly Automotive Inc.(ORLY)

O?Reilly Automotive, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the retail of automotive aftermarket parts, tools, supplies, equipment, and accessories in the United States. The company?s stores provide new and remanufactured automotive hard parts, including alternators, starters, fuel pumps, water pumps, brake system components, batteries, belts, hoses, chassis parts, and engine parts; maintenance items comprising oil, antifreeze, fluids, filters, wiper blades, lighting, engine additives, and appearance products; and accessories, such as floor mats, seat covers, and truck accessories. Its stores also offer auto body paint and related materials, automotive tools, and professional service provider service equipment. The company?s stores sell its brand name and private label products for domestic and imported automobiles, vans, and trucks to do-it-yourself customers and professional service providers. As of March 31, 2011, it operated 3,613 stores. The company was foun ded in 1957 and is headquartered in Springfield, Missouri.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Auto Parts Stores: This industry rose 4.51% by 10:30 am ET. The top performer in this industry was O'Reilly Automotive (NASDAQ: ORLY), which gained 7.1%. O'Reilly reported stronger-than-expected Q3 earnings.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of AutoZone have fallen 1.7% to $531.87 at 11:52 a.m., while Advance Auto Part (AAP) has dropped 1.6% to $121.27 and O’Reilly Automotive (ORLY) has declined 0.9% to $147.25. Pep Boys (PBY), however, has bucked the selling–its shares have gained 1.9% to $10.57.

• [By Sue Chang and Ben Eisen]

  O��eilly Automotive Inc. (ORLY) �shares advanced 9.2% after it reported fourth-quarter earnings of $1.40 a share, above the $1.33 forecast by analysts. Shares of automotive parts retailer AutoZone Inc. (AZO) �rose 5.5%.

10 Best Retail Stocks To Buy Right Now: Family Dollar Stores Inc.(FDO)

Family Dollar Stores, Inc. operates a chain of self-service retail discount stores primarily for low and middle income consumers in the United States. The company offers consumables, including household chemicals, paper products, candy and snack products, health and beauty aids, hardware and automotive supplies, and pet food products and supplies; and home products, which comprise domestics, housewares, giftware products, and home decor products. It also provides apparel products and accessories consisting of men?s and women?s clothing products, boys? and girls? clothing products, infants? clothing products, shoes, and fashion accessories; and seasonal products and electronics, such as toys, stationery and school supplies, seasonal goods, and personal electronics. As of August 11, 2011, the company operated approximately 7,000 stores in rural and urban settings across 44 states. Family Dollar Stores, Inc. was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in Matthews, North Carolina .

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Moskowitz]

  The shiniest dollar
  Many investors and analysts like to debate which dollar store offers the best investment opportunity. The truth is that Dollar General, Dollar Tree Stores (NASDAQ: DLTR  ) , and Family Dollar Stores (NYSE: FDO  ) are all likely to be quality long-term investments.

• [By Chris Hill]

  In this installment, our analysts explain why they're watching Family Dollar (NYSE: FDO  ) and CarMax (NYSE: KMX  ) .

  The relevant video segment can be found between 5:54 and 6:52.

• [By Melvin Backman]

  3. Dollar store drama and coffee surge: Shares in Dollar General (DG) are down more than 7% after CEO Rick Dreiling announced that he was retiring in 2015. Activist investor Carl Icahn has a 9.4% stake in Family Dollar (FDO), which many suspect he wants to merge with Dollar General. Family Dollar stock is down 2%. Related company Dollar Tree (DLTR) is slightly negative as well.

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images Like millions of Americans, Darnel Ware needs to save money, even if it's 40 cents on a bag of flour. He searches for those savings during his daily visits to the Family Dollar Store near his home in Fraser, Michigan, sometimes stopping by as many as 10 times a week "if there are things I need," said the 51-year-old home care provider. "I buy a lot of everything; merchandise and food products." He said he typically spends about $30 a trip on items such as the soft drinks, paper cups and cookies he bought on a recent afternoon at the small store in a strip mall alongside other discount retailers and small factories five miles from Detroit. The small but frequent purchases of low-income customers such as Ware add up: Family Dollar Stores (FDO), which operates about 8,200 stores in mainly urban sections of the U.S., is the target of an $9 billion cash takeover offer from rival Dollar General and an $8.5 billion cash and stock offer from Dollar Tree. Both competitors are betting not only on the health of the deep discount retail sector but also on the intractability of poverty in America. Mid-market retailers such as Walmart Stores (WMT), Macy's (M) and J.C. Penney (JCP) have been struggling in recent years as consumers have been slow to return to their pre-recession, freer spending ways. On Wednesday, Target (TGT) said it was cutting its full-year earnings and slashing prices. But the popularity of so-called dollar stores is growing. Shopping by the 46.5 million Americans living below the poverty line poor helped boost the annual U.S. market for deep discount stores by 45.7 percent to $48.2 billion between 2008 and 2013, according to London-based market researcher Euromonitor International. The firm projects the sector to grow to $57 billion in 2018. The U.S. Census sets the poverty line at $24,000 a year or less for a family of four. Such forecasts help explain the battle over Family Dollar, the number-two de

10 Best Retail Stocks To Buy Right Now: Macy’s Inc (M)

Macy�s, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates stores and Internet Websites in the United States. Its retail stores and Internet Web sites sell a range of merchandise, including apparel and accessories for men, women, and children; cosmetics; home furnishings; and other consumer goods. The company also operates Bloomingdale�s Outlet stores that offer a range of apparel and accessories, including ready-to-wear, shoes, fashion accessories, jewelry, handbags, and intimate apparel products. As of January 28, 2012, it operated approximately 840 stores under the names of Macy�s and Bloomingdale�s; and 7 Bloomingdale�s Outlet stores, as well as macys.com and bloomingdales.com. The company was formerly known as Federated Department Stores, Inc. and changed its name to Macy�s, Inc. in June 2007. Macy�s, Inc. was founded in 1820 and is based in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Demitrios Kalogeropoulos]

  Retailers aren't known for paying out big dividends. But with its latest 25% dividend increase,�Macy's (NYSE: M  ) should find its way onto many income investors' watchlists. In the video below, Fool contributor Demitrios Kalogeropoulos discusses Macy's recent business success, and why he thinks the company's dividend has a lot of room to grow from its current 2% yield.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  On Wednesday, Macy's (NYSE: M  ) will release its latest quarterly results. The key to making smart investment decisions on stocks reporting earnings is to anticipate how they'll do before they announce results, leaving you fully prepared to respond quickly to whatever inevitable surprises arise. That way, you'll be less likely to make an uninformed, knee-jerk reaction to news that turns out to be exactly the wrong move.

• [By Reuters]

  Nam Y. Huh/APCustomers ride escalators inside the Sears store in downtown Chicago. NEW YORK -- Sears Holdings (SHLD) is closing its downtown Chicago flagship outlet in April, the latest move by the retailer to cut the number of its stores as it relies more on online retailing. The store has lost "millions of dollars" since opening in 2001, a Sears spokesman said Tuesday. The closing will leave Sears' namesake chain without a store in the downtown core of its hometown. Sears is based in suburban Hoffman Estates, Ill. It has three other stores in Chicago. In a blog post Tuesday, hedge fund manager Edward Lampert, who is Sears' CEO and top shareholder, said store closings are necessary because shoppers' habits are changing as they buy more online. "The consensus about decreased store traffic also highlights another decision that has steered our work: we very often need less space to serve our members better and we may need fewer locations as well," Lampert said. "As difficult as these changes are, we believe the alternative of failing to plan for or even see where the retail industry is heading would be far, far worse." Sears reported a 9.2 percent decline in comparable sales for the holiday season at its namesake chain, the latest poor showing by the retailer. The company also operates the Kmart discount chain. Sears Holdings has closed about 300 U.S. stores since 2010. The company has about 2,000 Sears and Kmart locations in the United States. Other retailers are also closing stores. J.C. Penney (JCP) announced last week that it was closing 33 of its 1,100 stores. Macy's (M) is closing five stores, although it plans to open eight new locations. The news of the Chicago store closing was first reported by Crain's. Percentage of U.S. population who visited in March: 14.2%  Revenue: $73.3 billion  1-year stock price change: 27.56%  Store category: Discount & variety stores

10 Best Retail Stocks To Buy Right Now: Zumiez Inc (ZUMZ)

Zumiez Inc. (Zumiez) is a specialty retailer of action sports related apparel, footwear, equipment and accessories operating under the Zumiez brand name. As of January 28, 2012, the Company operated 434 stores in the United States and 10 stores in Canada. In addition, the Company operates a Website that sells merchandise online. At January 28, 2012, its stores averaged approximately 2,900 square feet. Its apparel offerings include tops, bottoms, outerwear and accessories, such as caps, bags and backpacks, belts, jewelry and sunglasses. Zumiez�� footwear offerings primarily consist of action sports related athletic shoes and sandals. Its equipment offerings, or hardgoods, include skateboards, snowboards and ancillary gear, such as boots and bindings. The Company also offers a selection of other items, such as miscellaneous novelties.

The Company supplements its merchandise assortment with a select offering of private label products across many of its apparel product categories. During the fiscal year ended January 28, 2012 (fiscal 2011), its private label merchandise represented 17.7% of the Company�� net sales. The Company sources its private label merchandise from foreign manufacturers worldwide.

The Company competes with Abercrombie & Fitch, Aeropostale, American Apparel, American Eagle Outfitters, Billabong, CCS, Forever 21, Hollister, Hot Topic, Old Navy, Pacific Sunwear of California, The Buckle, Wet Seal, Tilly��, Urban Outfitters, Big 5 Sporting Goods, Dick�� Sporting Goods, Sport Chalet and The Sports Authority.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Zumiez Inc. (NASDAQ: ZUMZ) is expected to post a same-store sales increase of 2.8% for August. The company is scheduled to report second-quarter results after-markets close on Thursday. Consensus estimates call for earnings per share of $0.17 on revenues of $157.78 million. In August 2012, the teen apparel store�� sales rose 3.7%.

• [By Jeremy Bowman]

  What: Shares of sports-apparel retailer Zumiez (NASDAQ: ZUMZ  ) jumped as much as 16% today after reporting better-than-expected same-store sales.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Importantly, a potentially strong Easter selling season (per our own store checks and lateral reads from the Gap (GPS), Zumiez (ZUMZ), and L Brands (LB)) and momentum into Mother’s Day could give the bulls something to hang their hats on.

• [By Wallace Witkowski]

  Zumiez Inc. (ZUMZ) �shares fell 3.6% to $23.57 on light volume after the specialty retailer said same-store sales were hit by weak mall traffic.