Overstock: Stifel Downgrades To Sell; Stock Off 24 Percent

Stifel Nicolaus analyst Scott Devitt this morning cut his rating on Overstock.com (OSTK) to Sell from Hold. He notes that the company, which reported second-quarter financial results this morning, trades for 21×2009 EBITA, “the highest multiple in the sector.”

Devitt says the company has had two consecutive quarters of mid-20 percent growth, but that it has had “fairly easy comps,” and that growth could drop into the low-to-mid teens by 2009. “Investors believe that Overstock is doing well for the same reasons TJ Maxx is doing well, but Overstock transitioned away from the excess market two years ago and sells more traditional retail merchandise in its current form,” he writes.

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