Consumer Discretionary

CFRA Keeps Hold View On Shares Of Lowe’s Companies, Inc.

Our 12-month target of $238, up $17, is 19.5x our FY 25 EPS view of $12.20 (down $0.06; FY 26’s down $0.28 to $13.48), a premium to historical averages. Our P/E reflects LOW’s productivity initiatives, improved customer service, and improving rate cut expectations. FQ1 (May) EPS of $3.06 (-16.6% Y/Y) beat by $0.10 on revenue of $21.4B (-4.4% Y/Y), 1% above consensus. Comp sales declined 4.1% on a 1% ticket contraction and a 3.1% transaction count decline. Notably, Pro and online sales achieved growth in Q1, with Pro backlogs flat Y/Y. Gross margin of 33.2% declined 50 bps due to investments, promotions, and a decline in credit revenue. SG&A advanced 140 bps to 18.8%, netting a 200-bp EBIT decline to 12.4%. Despite the top- and bottom-line beat, FY 25 guide remains unchanged. We see the roll-out of the loyalty program as necessary in meeting a stressed consumer. LOW assures its […]

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Target’s Price Cuts Imply Earnings May Be a Concern – but UBS Says Don’t Worry

By Tomi Kilgore Retailer’s stock heads for lowest close in nearly 3 months ahead of earnings release Shares of Target Corp. continued their slide Tuesday, as investors appeared to express concern that the retail giant’s recent announcement about price cuts is an indication that the latest quarter’s sales and margins may disappoint. The stock (TGT) shed 1% in midday trading, putting it on track to close at the lowest price seen since March 4. That followed a 2.1% drop on Monday, in the wake of Target’s announcement that it was cutting prices on 5,000 “frequently shopped” items. The timing of the price-cut announcement – coming two days before Target reports fiscal first-quarter results – appeared to worry investors that the company needed to boost sales at the expense of profits. In the fourth quarter, Target beat profit expectations by a wide margin, as lower markdowns gave a boost to gross

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Lowe’s Decline in Big-Ticket Sales Expected to Continue

Lowe’s sales were impacted by ongoing pressure on discretionary spending for big-ticket items, or ones costing $500 or more, that doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon, Edward Jones analyst Brian Yarbrough says in a research note. The pullback will delay an eventual turnaround to positive sales growth, though long-term drivers are still intact, the analyst says. Lowe’s management says on a call with analysts that big-ticket categories will likely continue to face pressure among the retailer’s do-it-yourself customers. Shares are down 3.1% at $222.

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Lowe’s Companies(NYSE:LOW) Q1 2024 Earnings Conference

The following is a summary of the Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (LOW) Q1 2024 Earnings Call Transcript: Financial Performance: Lowe’s Q1 reported sales of $21.4 billion, with comparable sales down by 4.1% from last year. The company delivered positive Q1 growth in Pro and online sales despite a challenging home improvement environment. Gross margin was at 33.2%, down by 49 basis points due to ongoing supply chain investments and spring promotions. Operating margin declined to 12.4%. Lowe’s generated $3.9 billion in free cash flow and made $382 million in capital expenditures. The company plans to use free cash flow in 2024 to repay a $450 million bond maturity with the remainder for share repurchases. Business Progress: Lowe’s achieved traction in its Total Home strategy, gaining Pro customers and improving online sales. It launched a successful SpringFest campaign and expanded delivery options through partnerships with DoorDash and Shipped. The company launched a

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Target Price-Cuts Move to Be Long-Term Positive, UBS Says

Target (TGT) is lowering prices to attract customers, “which should be a long-term positive,” UBS Securities said in a note emailed Tuesday. “Target is in the process of lowering prices on 5,000 frequently shopped items shows that the retailer is working to improve its sales trends,” UBS said, calling these initiatives indicative of the company’s strong position rather than any weakness. It is probable that Target has been enjoying healthy increases in profit margins, allowing it to allocate resources back into the business. “This is from areas like improved shrink, better markdown management, enhanced supply chain operations and other efficiencies,” UBS said. With this move, Target will show that it can still generate comp sales and margin growth despite lowering these prices. Its EPS range is expected to remain between $8.60 to $9.60, with Target likely raising the lower end of the range, UBS added. UBS has a buy rating

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Lululemon Athletica’s Global Creative Director Cheung to Take Over Responsibility of Chief Product Officer; Shares Fall After Hours

Lululemon Athletica (LULU) said late on Tuesday that Jonathan Cheung, Global Creative Director, will drive its product design and innovation roadmap while continuing to oversee design, innovation, and product development following the departure of Sun Choe, its chief product officer. The move comes into effect immediately. The company does not intend to replace the role of chief product officer. Cheung will report to Calvin McDonald, the company’s chief executive officer. Choe resigned and will leave the company later this month to “pursue another opportunity,” Lululemon said. “Cheung has a successful track record with more than 30 years of experience in senior creative leadership roles at global brands,” the company added. lululemon also plans to create a new team, comprising heads of its merchandising and brand functions, to scale its global and regional strategies. Shares of the company dropped 2.5% in after-hours activity.

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Lululemon’s Organizational Tweaks Seen Signaling Issues

The restructuring of Lululemon Athletica’s product and brand teams is not seen as a good sign by Jefferies analysts. They say in a research note that their store checks suggest that Lululemon’s product assortment is “falling flat,” with plenty of supply across colors and product lines. The analysts say they believe the organizational adjustments could signal potential weaker top-line results in future quarters. They argue the company’s business has peaked, and see rising competition as a concern. Shares fall 2.6% to $314.50 after hours.

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Lowe’s Companies Earnings, Revenue Fall in Fiscal Q1; Offers Full Year Outlook

Lowe’s Companies (LOW) reported fiscal Q1 diluted earnings Tuesday of $3.06 per share, down from $3.77 a year earlier. Analysts polled by Capital IQ expected $2.96. Total sales for the quarter ended May 3 was $21.36 billion, down from $22.35 billion a year earlier. Analysts surveyed by Capital IQ expected $21.1 billion. The company said it expects full-year 2024 diluted earnings of $12.00 to $12.30. Analysts surveyed by Capital IQ expect $12.15. The company expects total sales for 2024 of $84 billion to $85 billion. Analysts polled by Capital IQ expect $84.41 billion.

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Lowe’s Fiscal First-Quarter Results Top Street Views Despite DIY Spending Decline

Lowe’s (LOW) on Tuesday recorded better-than-expected fiscal first-quarter results, even as consumers cut back on big-budget spending on home improvement projects. The retailer’s earnings came in at $3.06 per share for the quarter ended May 3, down from $3.77 the year before, but topped the Capital IQ-polled consensus of $2.96. Sales slipped to $21.36 billion from $22.35 billion, but were ahead of the Street’s view for $21.1 billion. Shares rose nearly 3% in premarket activity. Comparable sales decreased 4.1%, compared with the 5.7% drop modeled by analysts, as positive pro and online same-store sales partially offset the decline in do-it-yourself big ticket discretionary spending, according to Lowe’s. “We are pleased with our start to spring, driven by strong execution and enhanced customer service,” Chief Executive Marvin Ellison said in a statement. “We think the company got off to a tough start, but our data indicated that sales trends accelerated towards

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LOWE’S REPORTS FIRST QUARTER 2024 SALES AND EARNINGS RESULTS

LOWE’S REPORTS FIRST QUARTER 2024 SALES AND EARNINGS RESULTS PR Newswire MOORESVILLE, N.C., May 21, 2024 — Comparable Sales Decreased 4.1%; Diluted EPS of $3.06 — — Affirms Full Year 2024 Outlook — MOORESVILLE, N.C., May 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) today reported net earnings of $1.8 billion and diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $3.06 for the quarter ended May 3, 2024, compared to diluted EPS of $3.77 in the first quarter of 2023, which included a gain associated with the 2022 sale of the Canadian retail business. Excluding this gain, first quarter 2023 adjusted diluted EPS(1) was $3.67. Total sales for the quarter were $21.4 billion, compared to $22.3 billion in the prior-year quarter. Comparable sales for the quarter decreased 4.1% as the decline in DIY big ticket discretionary spending was partially offset by positive comparable sales in Pro and online. “We are pleased

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Lowe’s Companies Q1 2024 GAAP EPS $3.06 Beats $2.94 Estimate, Sales $21.364B Beat $21.123B Estimate

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) reported quarterly earnings of $3.06 per share which beat the analyst consensus estimate of $2.94 by 4.08 percent. The company reported quarterly sales of $21.364 billion which beat the analyst consensus estimate of $21.123 billion by 1.14 percent.

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CFRA Maintains Its Buy Opinion On Shares Of Yum Brands, Inc.

We lift our 12-month target price to $152 from $150, 26.5x our 2024 EPS, slightly below YUM’s five-year average forward P/E of 26.9x, reflecting near-term revenue growth risks. We lower our 2024 EPS to $5.74 from $5.84 and FY 25’s to $6.45 from $6.54. YUM posted Q1 adj-EPS of $1.15, $0.05 below consensus. Revenue of $1,598M (-2.9% Y/Y) was $112M below consensus. Adjusted operating income increased 5.5% Y/Y to $515M vs. $568M consensus, with margin expanding to 34.7%. Same-store sales fell 3.0% vs. 3.7% consensus, with declines at Pizza Hut (-7%) and KFC (-4%), partly offset by Taco Bell (+1%). We also note the Middle East conflicts and unfavorable weather were headwinds. While we’re still positive about YUM’s Taco Bell division and its AI initiatives (over 40 currently), there are concerns about near-term margin pressure amid the more promotional environment. Nonetheless, we think YUM is relatively well positioned given its

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