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J.C. Penney Company, Inc. : Penney Reports Loss, Progress With Turnaround
11/20/2013 | 08:36am US/EasternRecommend:
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J.C. Penney Co. said its fiscal third-quarter loss widened as the department-store retailer's sales and margins weakened and the bottom line took a tax hit.

However, shares rose in early trading as investors nonetheless were encouraged by the progress that the retailer said it has made in recent months.

"Our strategies to reconnect with customers are beginning to take hold, and this became increasingly clear as the quarter progressed," Chief Executive Myron "Mike" Ullman said. "We are proud of the company's October sales performance, encouraged by the early weeks of November, and believe we are making strides toward a path to long-term profitable growth."

Mr. Ullman reiterated Wednesday that the company expects to report positive same-store sales for the fourth quarter.

The company recently reported its same-store sales rose in October--the company's first monthly same-store sales increase since December 2011 and a potential sign that its turnaround strategy is making some progress.

J.C. Penney is struggling to turn itself around after former chief executive Ron Johnson's failed effort to remake the retailer by doing away with promotions and eliminating in-house brands.

Investors were watching for signs of whether the recently improved sales trends can be sustained, as well as the rate Penney is burning through cash.

In the latest period, women's and men's apparel and fine jewelry were the top performing merchandise divisions, while the company's cash burn was $737 million.

Also of interest to investors was the company's outlook for the critical holiday-sales season.

"We are committed to building on our progress by winning this holiday season," Mr. Ullman said Wednesday. He added that the company's new marketing campaign, which launched this week, is aimed at reminding customers that Penney is a destination for holiday gifts that fit a budget.

Like its rivals, Penney plans to go aggressively after Black Friday sales and is planning to open its doors on Thanksgiving Day. Analysts have been anticipating a highly promotion holiday-shopping season, which could weigh on margins in the retail sector.

For the period ended Nov. 2, J.C. Penney reported a loss of $489 million, or $1.94 a share, compared with a year-earlier loss of $123 million, or 56 cents a share. The latest period included negative tax-valuation allowance impacts of 73 cents a share and restructuring-related charges of 18 cents a share. Excluding these and other items, the per-share loss was $1.81, compared with a year-earlier loss of 93 cents.

Sales decreased 5.1% to $2.78 billion, compared with a drop of 27% reported a year earlier.

Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had expected a per-share loss of $1.77 and revenue of $2.79 billion.

Gross margin fell to 29.5% from 32.5% on lower clearance margins caused by to the overhang of inventory from the first two quarters of the year and Penney's return to a promotional pricing strategy.

Same-store sales dropped 4.8%, compared with analysts' expectations for a decline of 4.2% and the year-earlier decline of 26%. Online sales through jcp.com rose 24.5%.

The company ended the quarter with $1.23 billion of cash and cash equivalents, compared with $525 million reported a year earlier. Total debt was $5.61 billion.

Write to Tess Stynes at [email protected]


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