IHS Rises; Cato, Scholastic Tumble

Mukesh Buch
20 Mar, 2014
New York City

Cato tumbled after net and sales dropped and lowered its outlook. ConAgra surged 95% and sales climbed 15%. IHS climbed 31% as revenue surged 37%. Lennar profit jumped 36%. Scholastic net tumbled 40%.

[R]12:10 PM New York – Cato tumbled after net and sales dropped and lowered its outlook. ConAgra surged 95% and sales climbed 15%. IHS climbed 31% as revenue surged 37%. Lennar profit jumped 36%. Scholastic net tumbled 40%.[/R]

The Cato Corporation ((CATO)) tumbled 11.7% or $3.51 to $26.59 after the specialty retailer said sales in the fourth-quarter ending on February 1 dropped 7% to $215.2 million. Same store sales in the quarter fell 3%.

Net income in the quarter plunged 22.7% to $3.8 million or 13 cents a diluted share compared to $7.9 million or 27 cents.

For fiscal 2014, the retailer estimated same-store sales in a range of down 2% to flat and net income between $43.1 million and $48.5 million, a decrease of 21% to 11% from 2013.

The company estimates diluted earnings per share in a range of $1.47 to $1.66, a decrease of 21% to 11% compared to $1.86 of 2013.

The Cato forecast net income in the first quarter in a range of $26 million to $27.7 million, or 89 cents to 95 cents per diluted share, a decrease of 15% to 10% compared to $1.05 in first quarter 2013.

ConAgra Foods Inc ((CAG)) rose 15 cents to $29.74 after the packaged food company reported total sales in the third-quarter ending on February 23 climbed 14.5% to $4.39 billion.

Net income in the quarter surged 95.2% to $234.3 million or 55 cents a diluted share compared to $120 million or 29 cents.

IHS Inc ((IHS)) gained 1.5 or $1.83 to $122.60 after the professional information services provider stated revenue in the first-quarter ending in February surged 37% to $524 million.

Net income in the quarter climbed 31% to $32.4 million or 47 cents a diluted share compared to $24.7 million or 37 cents.

Lennar Corporation ((LEN)) slipped 20 cents to $41.15 after the homebuilder said revenue in the first-quarter ending in February soared 33% to $1.36 billion.

Net earnings in the quarter jumped 35.8% to $78.1 million or 35 cents a diluted share compared to $57.5 million or 26 cents.

Scholastic Corp ((SCHL)) declined 3.9% or $1.37 to $33.55 after the educational books publisher stated revenue in the third-quarter ending in February slid 1.3% to $373.5 million.

Net income in the quarter tumbled 39.8% to $12.1 million or 38 cents a diluted share compared to $20.1 million or 63 cents.