Gap (NYSE:GPS)?reported?November net sales fell off 3% Y/Y, led down by a 7% at its Old Navy chain of stores and a 9% decline of international sales. YTD comparable sales are down 3% Y/Y.
Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) awakens the economy of U.K. by saying it plans to create 5,000 new positions in their job sector over the next five years with the opening of?200 new drive-thru stores, adding to the nine it already has.
Though Target (NYSE:TGT) CEO Gregg Steinhafel says Nov. sales came in on the low end of expectations. He says the firm is keeping its view for December the same. The retailer survived Black Friday without any reported issues after an?online petition?and?misbehaving website caught media attention.
Coach’s (NYSE:COH) trading debut in Hong Kong got off to a rocky start, up 1.8% with little volume vs. a 5.6% jump for the Hang Seng in heavy trading. The company believes however, that its brand recognition will help in the long run. The handbag maker listed in Hong Kong without raising new capital.
Kohl’s (NYSE:KSS) is dropping, and J.C. Penney (NYSE:JCP) is as well, after reporting?weak November same-store sales. While calling its November results a disappointment, Kohl’s says it was excited by its Thanksgiving weekend performance.
Lululemon (NASDAQ:LULU) plunges premarket as it beats earnings. A?revenue miss?combined with weaker-than-expected sales?guidance?of $327-$332M for Q4 suggests the company will have to take a hit on margins to keep growth going.
American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO) expects to benefit from lower cotton costs beginning in the second half of 2012. Weighing in on the effect of cotton prices CEO James O’Donnell weighs in on his firm in an earnings CC says this: “Cotton prices will continue to affect merchandise profit in the fourth quarter, and it will be well into the spring season before we st! art to s ee a correction.
Krispy Kreme (NYSE:KKD) is selling off post-earnings and suggests?price hikes enacted in response to rising commodity costs may be hurting sales. Investors are paying more attention to its?FQ3 revenue miss?than its solid EPS guidance. BGB Securities?(Hold) is optimistic regarding the uptake for Krispy Kreme’s new coffee products, but thinks they’ll have a limited impact on results.
Walt Disney’s (NYSE:DIS)?50% dividend hike?is a vote of confidence in the company��s future according to Mark Hulbert view, and a ��very bullish development” for the broader economy: “Disney is in the entertainment business. Its profitability would suffer if the economy were about to go into a sustained downturn… to that extent, management��s vote of confidence extends to the economy as a whole.”
Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) says TVs are among the top gifts people are putting on layaway. The Westinghouse 46-inch LCD HDTV on sale for 50% at Target (NYSE:TGT) last weekend was a top seller. Big discounts are a huge draw. Prices overall have dropped 7% to an average $597.
Investing Insights: Are Shareholders Benefiting From the Health Conscience Consumer?
