I continue to like the space and indeed all retail that caters to the high end or the low end (not the disappearing American middle class).
With 7M American households no longer making a mortgage payment but living 'rent free', the retail space continues to get a self funded stimulus that the savers of America are paying for via 'transfer payment to their neighbors'. (Banks taking forever to foreclose because they are allowed to 'mark to myth' on their balance sheet, Fed keeping rates at 0% so banks can make the 'spread' between Fed fund rates and what they lend money at, to make up for current and future mortgage losses, savers offered zilch on CD and savings rates). [Nov 5, 2010: The Case for Retail - and Shoes Specifically] At this point I can only turn negative on the U.S. consumer when ... ironically... the foreclosure crisis comes to an end. At that point millions of households will once again have to pay for a roof over their head, and all the money not going to banks to pay for mortgages will disappear from the mall, or nail salon, or restaurants, or car dealerships, or cruise ships. Only in Cramerica must I use this sort of logic!
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For the quarter, DSW estimates were $489M and $0.75 EPS. (Full report here)
- DSW Inc., a leading branded footwear specialty retailer, announced net income of $35.5 million on net sales of$489.3 million for the third quarter ended October 30, 2010, compared with net income of $26.6 million on net sales of $444.6 million for the quarter ended October 31, 2009.
- Same store sales increased 10.1% for the comparable period versus an increase of 8.7% last year.
- Diluted earnings per share were $0.79 for the third quarter of fiscal 2010 compared with diluted earnings per share of $0.60 last year.
- As a result of better-than-expected sales performance for the first three weeks of the fiscal fourth quarter, the Company now estimates an annual comparable store sales increase of approximately 12% and annual diluted earnings per share of approximately $2.30 to $2.40 for fiscal 2010.
- This is updated from the Company's previous estimate of an annual comparable store sales increase of approximately 11% and annual diluted earnings per share of approximately $2.20 to $2.30 for fiscal 2010. Fiscal 2009 annual diluted earnings per share were $1.23.
Analysts were in for $2.28 for the year.
Long DSW in fund; no personal position