Zumiez Inc. ZUMZ

The shoes kids begged for a few years ago have become the chain’s biggest problem.

Generating cash is essential for any business, but not all cash-rich companies are great investments. Some produce plenty of cash but fail to allocate it effectively, leading to missed opportunities.

A number of stocks jumped in the afternoon session after seasonal-shopping data pointed to continued consumer demand heading into the holiday period. The National Retail Federation’s annual survey, conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, projects U.S. Halloween spending of $13.5 billion this year, following last year’s record level. Circana’s retail tracking data also showed late-season back-to-school sales rose 4.2% year over year in the week ended September 5. Together, the data suggests th