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Globe Investor

A humorous look at the companies that caught our eye, for better or worse, this week

HIGH LINER FOODS (STAR)

Whether you prefer fish and chips, a grilled salmon steak or frozen halibut on a stick – a great way to beat the summer heat! – you've got to love fish. Here's something else to love: High Liner Foods' stock. Even as revenue and earnings fell in the first quarter, the marketer of frozen seafood said second-quarter results will be "greatly improved," citing plant efficiencies and a late Lent in 2017 that pushed some sales into April. Investors are swimming in profits.

HLF (TSX), $19.85, up $1.37 or 7.4% over week


ETSY (STAR)

Actual items you can buy on crafts website Etsy.com: 1) A pendant necklace that contains a real dead cockroach; 2) A Lester B. Pearson finger puppet; 3) A crocheted unicorn ear warmer with a horn sticking out the front. Hurry! Quantities are limited! Of course, you could always spend your money on Etsy's stock instead: The shares rallied after two private equity firms disclosed stakes in the online retailer and urged Etsy to explore "strategic alternatives."

ETSY (Nasdaq), $13.31 (U.S.), up $2.05 or 18.2% over week


RED ROBIN BURGERS (STAR)

No, Red Robin doesn't actually sell burgers made from robin meat – too chewy. But it does sell a lot of beef burgers: Citing the success of a new value menu and speedier service, the burger chain with restaurants across the U.S. and in Western Canada posted a 4.1-per-cent increase in first-quarter revenue as earnings topped Wall Street estimates. Investors are making so much money they can afford the $16.99 half-pound Black Angus burger with a $12 side of onion rings.

RRGB (Nasdaq), $72.95 (U.S.), up $15.30 or 26.50% over week


AMERICAN EAGLE OUTFITTERS (DOG)

The Eagle has landed – with a thud. Hurt by weak mall traffic, frugal consumers and growing competition from online merchants, teen clothing retailer American Eagle reported lower-than-expected earnings per share for the first quarter. With the company expecting same-store sales to be flat to down by low single digits on a percentage basis in the second quarter, this Eagle could be grounded for a while yet.

AEO (NYSE), $10.86 (U.S.), down $2.67 or 19.7% over week


FOOT LOCKER (DOG)

Phew! This stock has a nasty case of foot odour. Hit by delayed tax returns to U.S. consumers and general malaise in the retail industry, shares of athletic shoe chain Foot Locker plunged the most in eight years after the company posted first-quarter earnings of $1.36 a share, down from $1.39 a year earlier and below the $1.38 expected by analysts. Even though Foot Locker said sales have been rebounding, it wasn't enough to get rid of the bad smell.

FL (NYSE), $58.72 (U.S.), down $16.16 or 21.6% over week