UPDATE: Coach Shares Fall After Company Reduces Forecast
January 09 2009 - 11:29AM
Dow Jones News
By Andria Cheng
NEW YORK (Dow Jones) -- Joining a chorus of other retailers,
luxury leather-goods seller Coach Inc. shares fell 8.6% in
pre-market trading after the company said late Thursday
second-quarter profit would fall short of its previous guidance
after a disappointing holiday season.
The New York-based handbag and accessories maker (COH) said it
expects a second-quarter profit of about 67 cents a share, below
its previous forecast of 77 cents a share and less than the
year-earlier profit of 69 cents a share. Sales in the quarter ended
Dec. 27 fell 2% to $960 million.
The company had forecast second-quarter sales would rise to
about $1.05 billion. Analysts surveyed by FactSet Research
estimated 75 cents a share on revenue of $1.05 billion. Coach also
said it won't provide per-share guidance for the second half of the
year in light of the uncertain environment. Coach will release
final results on Jan. 21.
North American comparable-store sales declined 13%. That would
be the first negative same-store sales Coach reported since the
first quarter 2002, according to Credit Suisse analyst Paul Lejuez.
Lejuez estimated negative same-store sales for the remainder of
fiscal 2009 and 2010. He projected sales at stores open at least a
year could drop as much as 24% in the third quarter and as much as
25% in the fourth quarter.
Coach joined other retailers from Gap Inc. (GPS) and Limited
Brands Inc. (LTD) to Macy's Inc. (M) and Nordstrom Inc. (JWN) in
lowering their forecasts or warning that profits wouldn't meet
previous projections after the recession, rising job losses and
plunging consumer confidence led shoppers across the board to
curtail discretionary spending.
"With the holiday season over, in this environment, we question
what will drive consumers to shop at the mall," Lejuez said. "While
this is an issue facing most mall-based retailers, we view Coach as
particularly at risk because its products are higher ticket and
more discretionary."
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