Whole Foods Successful During Economic Downturn

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Shares of Whole Foods Market Inc. have skyrocketed more than 90% so far this year, as investors have cheered moves taken by the organic-grocery chain to cut expenses and improve sales during this current downdraft in consumer spending.
As Originally Posted to Market Watch

Analyst Scott Mushkin said the upscale grocer may face sales headwinds from a tax-rate hike on the upper-middle class in California and from ones proposed in New York and New Jersey. California raised its sales tax Wednesday by 1%, applicable to ready-to-eat hot foods.

Mushkin further expressed doubt about Whole Foods' expected savings on real-estate costs. He said the grocer will find it tough to renegotiate expensive store leases it signed from 2002 to 2007, when real-estate prices ballooned. He did lift his stock-price target to $18 from $13.

Whole Foods shares fell 4% to $18.17 in midday trading Friday.

The stock has been rising since the company landed a $425 million private-equity investment last fall, and attracted the attention of successful supermarket investor Ron Burkle, whose Yucaipa firm disclosed it owned 7% stake in Whole Foods on Jan. 5.

Profit at the Austin, Texas-based grocer fell 17% in the latest quarter compared with a year earlier. Whole Foods has been offering promotions in its meat, produce and seafood departments to drive store traffic, which has fallen off once-supercharged growth levels.