Retail

American Apparel Shares Rally 20%

Clothes on hangers
thinkstock
When founder and now former CEO of American Apparel Inc. (NYSE: APP) Dov Charney was fired last week, shares of the company’s stock reacted positively to the news. Then earlier this week Charney said he would sue to get his job back and the shares fell. Now, the still Charney-less company says it has hired an advisory firm to help it decide how to raise cash now that Charney is gone. And shares are up again.

What seems to be the cause behind Wednesday’s share price rise is the simple fact that the company’s board of directors has apparently demonstrated that it believes it is on solid footing in firing Charney and they are now going to proceed as if he and his threatened lawsuit don’t exist. What else could it be?

Shareholders almost always react badly when a company hires a firm to help it raise more cash. That inevitably means that existing shareholders will see their stakes in the company diluted.

In the case of American Apparel, how much worse could it get? The stock closed at $0.53 Tuesday and opened at $0.54 Wednesday. Anything the company does that could help it survive is good news: getting rid of Charney, filing for a secondary offering, issuing bonds (if it can find buyers), anything.

The blush of promise may not last very long, however, unless American Apparel can come up with a way to inject some new fire into a brand that has lost its place in the hearts of the fashion-conscious hipsters. The company may need a vision even more than it needs cash.

For now, though, the stock price was up more than 20% late morning Wednesday, at $0.64 in a 52-week range of $0.46 to $2.09.

ALSO READ: Top Retailers Using Social Media to Target Trends and Consumers

Is Your Money Earning the Best Possible Rate? (Sponsor)

Let’s face it: If your money is just sitting in a checking account, you’re losing value every single day. With most checking accounts offering little to no interest, the cash you worked so hard to save is gradually being eroded by inflation.

However, by moving that money into a high-yield savings account, you can put your cash to work, growing steadily with little to no effort on your part. In just a few clicks, you can set up a high-yield savings account and start earning interest immediately.

There are plenty of reputable banks and online platforms that offer competitive rates, and many of them come with zero fees and no minimum balance requirements. Click here to see if you’re earning the best possible rate on your money!

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.