Kroger Plunges 10% on Sales Worries, Brady Corp Earnings Surge

Mukesh Buch
13 Sep, 2018
New York City

Brady Corp soared on strong result and upbeat outlook. Fred''s tumbled after net loss widened as sales declined. Kroger Co beat earnings estimates after profit surged 44%. Palatin Technologies net swung to profit. Pivotal Software tumbled despite upbeat outlook.

[R]10:45 AM New York City, New York – Brady Corp soared on strong result and upbeat outlook. Fred''s tumbled after net loss widened as sales declined. Kroger Co beat earnings estimates after profit surged 44%. Palatin Technologies net swung to profit. Pivotal Software tumbled despite upbeat outlook.[/R]

Tollbooth Index jumped 129.47 or 0.8% to 16,503.03 but for the year-to-date soared 19.9%.

Earnings Review

Brady Corporation ((BRC)) soared 5.9% or $2.45 to $44 after the identifying components maker said revenues in the fourth-quarter ending in July advanced 2.9% from a year ago to $297.5 million.

Net income in the quarter surged 38.5% to $34.9 million or 66 cents per diluted share from $25.2 million or 48 cents in the same quarter last year.

Brady Corp forecasted fiscal 2019 sales growth in the range of 2% to 4% and diluted earnings per share in the range of $2.15 to $2.25.

Fred''s, Inc ((FRED)) tumbled 21.1% or 53 cents to $2.13 after the household goods, consumables and pharmaceuticals retailer said net sales in the second-quarter ending on August 4 dropped 4.3% from a year ago to $419.7 million.

Comparable store sales in the quarter declined 3.5%.

Net loss in the quarter widened to $32.3 million or 62 cents per diluted share from $29.5 million or 77 cents in the same quarter last year.

Kroger Company ((KR)) declined 9.4% or $2.99 to $28.74 after the grocery retailer reported total sales in the second-quarter ending on August 18 rose 1% from a year ago to $27.9 billion.

Same store sales, excluding fuel in the quarter increased 1.6%.

Net income in the quarter surged 43.9% to $508 million or 62 cents per diluted share from $353 million or 39 cents in the same quarter last year.

The retailer forecasted fiscal 2018 sales growth between 2% and 2.5% but lifted diluted earnings per share in the range of $3.88 to $4.03 from the earlier estimate of $3.64 to $3.79.

Palatin Technologies Inc ((PTN)) edges up 0.1 cent to $1.04 after the biopharma products maker said revenues in the year ending in June surged 50.1% from a year ago to $67.1 million.

Net in the year swung to profit $24.7 million or 12 cents per diluted share from a loss of $13.3 million or 7 cents in the same quarter last year.

Palatin said current capital resource is sufficient to fund for the planned operations to at least September 30, 2019.

Pivotal Software Inc ((PVTL)) tumbled 18.3% or $5.26 to $23.52 after the unleash software developer reported total revenues in the second-quarter ending on August 3 soared 30% from a year ago to $164.4 million.

Net loss in the quarter widened to $35.6 million or 14 cents per diluted share from $35.4 million or 52 cents in the same quarter last year.

The software developer forecasted fiscal 2019 total revenues in the range of $647 million to $653 million and subscription revenue between $386.5 million and $390.5 million and net loss per share in the range of 36 cents to 34 cents.