Retail Sales Advance

Elena
01 Jun, 2006
New York City

Major retail companies reported generally higher same-store sales for May. Gymboree posted 19% rise in same-store sales, while Abercombie & Fitch reported that May same-store sales rose 3% and total sales climbed 17% to $185.7 million. Nordstrom and Limited Brands posted same store sales growth of 7.8% and 7% respectively, exceeding analyst estimates.

[R] 9:45AM Stocks traded in a lackluster fashion at opening.[/R]
Stock markets lacked direction in early trading on Thursday, with investors looking ahead to the release of the May employment report on Friday. Retail stocks were in focus, posting advance in May, despite soaring gasoline prices. Federated Department Stores Inc.((FD)) added 76 cents to $73.59 on its sharply better-than-forecast May sales. JCPenney Co. ((JCP)) also saw strong sales, lifting its stock $2.26 to $63. The gold sector showed significant weakness in early trading as gold for August delivery dropped $20 at $629 an ounce. Energy stocks were also weak, moving lower along with the price of oil, down 94 cents at $70.35 a barrel, extending recent decline. Shares of Exxon Mobil Corp. ((XOM)) fell 1.3% to $60.13. Meanwhile, the price decrease contributed to some strength in the oil-sensitive airline sector. Some networking stocks showed strong performance, with Ciena ((CIEN)) up 4.7% after reporting a narrower Q2 loss. Among other socks, shares of biotechnology company Gilead Sciences Inc. ((GILD)) rose 1.2% after J.P. Morgan Securities raised its rating on the stock. U.S. telephone company AT&T Inc. ((T)) gained 2.2% after CIBC raised its rating on the company. In the first hour of trading, the Dow Jones industrial average lost 6.24, or 0.06%. The Standard & Poor's 500 index was up 0.54, or 0.04%, and the Nasdaq composite index rose 4.74, or 0.22%. Bonds steadied after Wednesday's dive, with the yield on the 10-year Treasury note down to 5.12% from 5.13% late in the prior session.


[R]9:00AM Stock futures indicated a flat opening on economic data.[/R]
U.S. stock futures pointed to a flat opening with the Nasdaq and S&P 500 slightly higher after economic data eased interest-rate concerns, showing that weekly jobless claims rose unexpectedly and labor cost pressures were much better contained in the first quarter. S&P 500 futures were up 0.10 point, even with fair value. Dow Jones industrial average futures were down 8 points, and Nasdaq 100 futures were up 1 point.

In corporate news, retail stocks are expected to be actively traded as a number of big name retailers reported generally strong May sales. Nordstrom ((JWN)) and Limited Brands ((LTD)) posted same store sales growth of 7.8% and 7% respectively, exceeding analyst estimates. Sun Microsystems ((SUNW)), server and software maker, announced plans to cut 4,000 to 5,000 jobs over the next six months, expecting to save $480 to $590 million, with the full impact expected to take effect by the Q4 of 2007. The company added that the plan will result in restructuring charges of $340 to $500 million.

[R]Productivity growth was revised up 3.7%.[/R]
Thursday morning, the Department of Labor released its revised report on first quarter productivity, showing that productivity growth was revised up slightly less than economists expected. The report also showed a significant downward revision to labor costs. The Labor Department said that productivity growth was revised up to 3.7 percent from the 3.2 percent growth originally reported for the quarter. Economists had been expecting productivity growth to be revised up to 3.8 percent. The productivity growth in the first quarter came as output increase by 6.5 percent while hours worked increase by 2.7 percent. Productivity had increased by a more modest 0.2 percent in the fourth quarter. The report also showed that the growth in unit labor costs was revised lower to 1.5 percent from the 2.5 percent previously reported. The 3 percent increase in labor costs previously reported for the fourth quarter was also revised sharply lower to a 0.6 percent drop. The revisions to productivity and unit labor costs are likely to help offset recent concerns about inflation, which may help to ease worries about the outlook for interest rates.

[R]Initial jobless claims climbed unexpectedly.[/R]
The Department of Labor released its report on initial jobless claims in the week ended May 27 on Thursday, showing that jobless claims unexpectedly increased. The report showed that jobless claims rose to 336,000 from the previous week''s unrevised figure of 329,000. Economists had expected jobless claims to fall to 320,000. The less volatile 4-week moving average also increased, rising to 333,500 from the previous week''s revised average of 330,750. This marked the sixth consecutive increase by the moving average. The report also showed that continuing claims in the week ended May 20 rose to 2.433 million from the preceding week''s revised level of 2.414 million. The unexpected increase in jobless claims may raise concerns about the strength of the May employment data due to be released on Friday. Economists currently expect the report to show that the U.S. economy added 180,000 jobs in May.

Brown-Forman Corp, ((BFB)), liquor and luggage maker, reported its fiscal Q4 net income advanced to 63 cents a share, from 50 cents a share in the year-ago period. The company added its Q4 earnings from continuing operations amounted to 61 cents a share. The company beat analysts forecast for earnings of 54 cents a share

Gymboree Corp, ((GYMB)), retailer, reported retail sales in the four weeks ended May 27 advanced 19% to compared with the same period a year ago. The company expects Q2 comparable store sales to rise in the mid-to-high single digits and affirmed its guidance for a loss of 7 cents to 9 cents a share, stock-based compensation inclusive. For 2006, Gymboree forecast earnings of $1.37 to $1.40 a share, following the impact of stock-based compensation.

Abercrombie & Fitch Co, ((ANF)), retailer, reported that May same-store sales advanced 3% and total sales climbed 17% to $185.7 million. The company topped analysts forecast for same-store sales growth of 2.9%.

Dollar General Corp, ((DG)), general merchandise retailer, reported Q1 earnings of 15 cents a share, down from a profit of 20 cents a share a year-ago. Net sales advanced 8.8% in Q1 to $2.15 billion, from $1.98 billion in the year-earlier equivalent period and same-store sales climbed 1.6%. The analysts’ estimate was for a profit of 16 cents a share. Looking ahead, the company forecast earnings of $1.09 to $1.16 a share for fiscal 2006, including stock option expensing of a penny per share. For Q2, the company expects earnings of 18 to 22 cents a share. Dollar General added that it plans to spend about $375 million on capital expenditures.

Cato Corp., ((CTR)), retailer, reported same-store sales declined 2% in May from the year-ago period. The company was expected to report a 2% increase in same-store sales for the period.


[R]8:00AM Delta Air Lines concession deal got approval from a bankruptcy judge.[/R]
Delta Air Lines Inc. and its pilots, who were hit with two major pay cuts in two years, achieved reconciliation, ending a battle that brought the nation''s third-largest carrier close to a devastating strike. Delta and negotiators for the pilots union reached the deal in April. A week later, union leaders ratified the deal, paving the way for the rank-and-file pilots to do the same. Before the agreement being reached, Delta had asked an arbitration panel to reject its pilot contract so it could unilaterally impose the cuts it wanted. The pilots had threatened to strike if the contract was voided. A bankruptcy judge approved the $280-million-a-year concessions deal Wednesday, hours after 61% of the airline''s rank-and-file pilots voted for the pact. Court approval came despite an objection by the government''s pension insurer, which insisted that a $650 million note and $2.1 billion unsecured claim that the company promised the pilots should belong to the agency if the pilots'' pension is terminated as expected. The deal includes an initial 14% pay cut for pilots and assurances the pilots union won''t fight any company effort to terminate the pilots'' pension.

The agreement, which runs through 2009, takes effect Thursday. As part of the settlement, Delta agreed to provide retired pilots an administrative claim of $9 million to cover a portion of certain pension benefits. Delta also said in a filing with the bankruptcy court that it lost $27 million in April. Excluding items, it would have earned $22 million in the 30-day period. As of April 30, Delta had $2.5 billion of unrestricted cash. It has posted losses of more than $14.4 billion since January 2001. Delta said it planned to file thousands of pages of disclosure documents with the court detailing its finances and its obligations. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. said that it was reviewing its options, including the possibility of an appeal.


[R]7:30AM Japanese shares finished higher, other indices fell.[/R]
Asian markets finished mixed. Tokyo''s Nikkei 225 index closed higher, advancing 36.41 points, or 0.24%, to close at 15503.74 points. Auto stocks were among the gainers. Toyota Motor advanced 1.5%, real estate shares also added with Sekisui House gaining 2.2% and bank stocks recovered as well, as Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group rose 1.3%. Hong Kong’ Hang Seng Index closed 212.62 points lower, or 1.3%, to 15645.27, despite Bank of China''s 15% gain. South Korea’s stocks plummeted, following banks shares, brokerage firms and auto makers. Kookmin Bank, dropped 3.1%, and Woori Finance Holdings shed 4.1%. Daewoo Securities fell 6.8% and Samsung Securities was down 3%. Hyundai Motor lost 3.5% to its lowest point since August 5, 2005. Australia''s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 advanced 1.2% to 5060.6. BHP Billiton advanced 1.5% and Rio Tinto gained 1.9%.


[R]6:30AM European stocks fall on banks and commodity prices.[/R]
European markets fell in early trading. After an hour of trade, London’s FTSE 100 shed 0.4% to 5,698.5, the Xetra Dax declined 1% to 5,636.86 and the CAC 40 lost 0.6% to 4,902.84.On the corporate front, some gainers included Spain’s Cepsa gained 1.3%, Neste Oil added up 0.7%. The decliners were more. Among them were gas and water facilities, with RWE off 2.2%, Eon down 2.4%, Gaz de France slipping 1.3% and Suez down 1%. Despite a strong start, the telecoms slid. The only gainer was Belgacom, rising 0.4%, but Telia Sonera dropped 0.5%.

Light, sweet crude oil for July delivery lost 36 cents to $70.93 a barrel and July Brent at London''s ICE Futures exchange shed 31 cents to $70.10 a barrel. Bullion shed more than 2% Thursday to a one-month low as gold''s fall intensified on a firming dollar. Spot gold dropped to $629.80 an ounce, the lowest since April 27, before slightly recovering to $632. The dollar advanced against major currencies on Thursday after minutes from the Federal Reserve''s latest policy meeting buoyed expectations that the interest rates will be hiked. The greenback was trading at 112.55 yen, down 0.04 yen from late Wednesday in New York. The euro dropped to $1.2779, from $1.2814. The British pound fell to $1.8634 from $1.8689 in New York.