Limited Brands Inc.
(
LTD
), a specialty retailer of women's intimate and other apparel,
beauty and personal care products, posted strong comparable-store
sales results for the four-week period ended July 28, 2012. The
increase resulted from strong sales at its Victoria's Secret Stores
and Bath & Body Works.
Limited Brands, owner of Victoria's Secret Direct and La Senza
chains, has sustained its growth momentum. The company's
comparable-store sales for July 2012 rose 12% following an increase
of 7% in June and compared with a 6% growth in July 2011.
Management now expects comps to rise in the low single digits for
the month of August.
Comparable-store sales for July increased 12% at Victoria's
Secret Stores & Victoria's Secret Beauty and 17% at Bath &
Body Works & The White Barn Candle Co. but declined 5% at La
Senza. Sales at Victoria's Secret Direct inched up 1%.
Limited Brands, which competes with
Hanesbrands Inc.
(
HBI
), announced that net sales for July fell marginally by 1.6% to
$649.8 million from $660.4 million posted in the comparable
prior-year month. The prior-year period sales included $67.7
million from a third-party apparel sourcing business that was sold
in November 2011.
In terms of performance, Limited Brands fared better than its
competitor
Gap Inc.
(
GPS
), which also posted a solid comparable-store sales increase of
10%.
For the 26-week period ended July 28, 2012, Limited Brands
registered comparable-store sales growth of 8%. However, net sales
for the period fell 2.6% to $4,553 million from $4,675 million in
the prior-year period. The prior-year sales included $430.6 million
from a third-party apparel sourcing business that was sold in
November 2011.
Comparable-store sales for the second quarter of 2012 rose 8%.
Sales for the quarter dropped 2.4% to $2,399 million from $2,458
million in the year-ago quarter. Prior- year quarter sales consist
of $216.6 million from a third-party apparel sourcing business that
was sold in November 2011.
The better-than-expected July comparable-store sales performance
prompted management to raise second-quarter 2012 earnings guidance
to a range of 46 cents to 48 cents, from 40 cents to 45 cents
forecasted earlier.
Limited Brands also announced the payment of a special dividend
of $1 per share, apart from regular quarterly dividend of 25 cents
a share. Both the dividends are scheduled to be paid on September 7
to stockholders of record as on August 23.
Let's Conclude
The company's Bath & Body Works segment is gaining traction,
driven by a rise in store transactions, enhancement in the direct
channel business and new stores. Victoria's Secret Stores have been
performing well, and the company is also revamping its La Senza
brand.
Limited Brands intends to augment its retail footprint across
the globe by expanding aggressively in Canada and other
international markets. Moreover, the company's strong liquidity
positions it for growth as well as higher returns. However, stiff
competition and erratic consumer behavior still remain matters of
concern.
Currently, we have a long-term Neutral recommendation on the
stock. Limited Brands holds a Zacks #3 Rank that translates into a
short-term Hold rating.
GAP INC (GPS): Free Stock Analysis Report
HANESBRANDS INC (HBI): Free Stock Analysis
Report
LIMITED BRANDS (LTD): Free Stock Analysis
Report
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