Verisk in $2.8 B Deal with Wood Mackenzie, Vera Bradley Tumbles

Mukesh Buch
11 Mar, 2015
New York City

Brown Shoe plunged on weak fiscal outlook. Express net dropped 13% and comparable store sales fell 2%. Ferrellgas Partners profit soared 30% but revenues plummeted 23%. Vera Bradley net swung to profit. Verisk Analytics agreed to acquire U.K.-based Wood Mackenzie for $2.8 billion.

[R]12:25 PM New York – Brown Shoe plunged on weak fiscal outlook. Express net dropped 13% and comparable store sales fell 2%. Ferrellgas Partners profit soared 30% but revenues plummeted 23%. Vera Bradley net swung to profit. Verisk Analytics agreed to acquire U.K.-based Wood Mackenzie for $2.8 billion.[/R]

Tollbooth Index edged down 0.03% or 3.44 to 10,492.32.

Earnings Review

Brown Shoe Company, Inc ((BWS)) plunged 6.1% or $1.94 to $30.12 after the footwear retailer said net sales in the fourth-quarter ending in December jumped 2.6% to $615.1 million form a year ago period.

Net earnings in the quarter soared 163.5% to $16.2 million or 37 cents per diluted share compared to $6.2 million or 14 cents from the same quarter last year.

The retailer forecasted net sales in the fiscal 2015 of between $2.61 billion and $2.63 billion and earnings per diluted share I the range of between $1.78 and $1.88.

Express, Inc ((EXPR)) jumped 2.5% or 37 cents to $15.32 after the specialty apparel and accessories retailer reported net sales in the fourth-quarter ending on February 1 rose 1% to $725.8 million form a year ago period.

Comparable store sales in the quarter dropped 2%.

Net income in the quarter plunged 12.7% to $41.8 million or 49 cents per diluted share compared to $47.9 million or 57 cents from the same quarter last year.

Ferrellgas Partners, L.P ((FGP)) slipped 1.7% or 38 cents to $22.55 after the propane distributor said total revenues in the second-quarter ending in January plummeted 23.4% to $665.97 million form a year ago period.

Net income in the quarter soared 29.4% to $73.5 million or 89 cents per diluted share compared to $56.8 million or 72 cents from the same quarter last year.

Vera Bradley, Inc ((VRA)) tumbled 16.7% or $3.01 to $15.06 after the accessories retailer said revenues in the fourth-quarter ending in January slipped 2.4% to $152.6 million form a year ago period.

Comparable store sales in the quarter tumbled 14.4%.

Net income in the quarter declined 10.8% to $17.3 million or 43 cents per diluted share compared to $19.4 million or 48 cents from the same quarter last year.

VeriFone Systems Inc ((PAY)) climbed 4.6% or $1.53 to $34.72 after the electronic payment solutions provider reported total revenues in the first-quarter ending in January surged 11.5% to $486.2 million form a year ago period.

Net in the quarter swung to profit $13.8 million or 12 cents per diluted share compared to a loss of $16.2 million or 15 cents from the same quarter last year.

Verisk Analytics, Inc ((VRSK)) gained 1.5% or $1.07 to $69.61 after the consultation services provider agreed to acquire U.K.-based privately held energy consultant Wood Mackenzie for $2.8 billion or £1.85 billion to expand its international business.

The transaction is expected to close in the second-quarter of this year.