Macy's Tops Estimates, Hints at Real Estate Deals--Update
23 Febbraio 2016 - 3:21PM
Dow Jones News
By Lisa Beilfuss
Macy's Inc. said profit slid in its latest quarter, dragged by a
disappointing holiday shopping season, but the retailer beat
expectations and hinted it has moved closer to potential
real-estate transactions.
Shares in the company, down 36% over the past 12 months, climbed
5.7% in premarket trading.
The New York-based department-store chain, which has a
significant presence in the north and northeast, suffered from soft
holiday sales that it has attributed to unusually warm weather
across those parts of the country. In addition, lower spending in
its stores by international tourists due to the strong U.S. dollar
has hurt results. Last month, Macy's moved to cut thousands of jobs
and shut 40 stores after it reported a 4.7% decline at existing
stores in November and December--the steepest decline in five
years. For the full quarter, same-store sales fell 4.3%.
Macy's hasn't been alone in reporting challenging conditions.
Nordstrom Inc., for example, last week posted lackluster sales
results and said it would move to cut expenses and spending to
support profitability. Department stores and apparel retailers have
been particularly affected by consumers' shift in spending away
from things like apparel and electronics.
Meanwhile, activist investor Starboard Capital has urged Macy's
to find ways to unlock the value of its vast real estate holdings.
While the company has rejected Starboard's call for a full spinoff
of real-estate assets, Macy's said last month that it would seek
out joint-venture partners to take minority stakes in some
properties.
On Tuesday, the retailer said it has gotten the ball rolling on
potential real-estate transactions, noting that there has been "a
high degree of initial interest at this preliminary stage."
Chief Executive Terry Lundgren on Tuesday said sales have
improved at Macy's since the end of the year, thanks to a colder
turn in weather across the northern U.S. The company said it
expects to earn $3.80 to $3.90 a share this year; analysts have
predicted $3.83 a share. Sales will slip 2%, owed in part to plan
store closures.
Over all for the fourth quarter, Macy's reported a profit of
$544 million, or $1.73 a share, down from $793 million, or $2.26 a
share, a year earlier. Excluding charges stemming from store
closures, asset impairments and other items, earnings per share
fell to $2.09 from $2.44. Revenue slid 5.3% to $8.87 billion.
Analysts projected adjusted profit of $1.89 a share and $8.83
billion in sales, according to Thomson Reuters.
Write to Lisa Beilfuss at lisa.beilfuss@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 23, 2016 09:06 ET (14:06 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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