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Thursday, December 3, 1998
"You know its time to put your hand on your money and run when someone says something along the lines of 'I can make you rich, but first pay me'." -- Joe Chasse, a Texas Fool
November Comp. Sales
Yes, it's that time of the month again, when the spotlight falls on the retail industry as retailers rain a flurry of same-store sales announcements on the market. Same-store sales -- a.k.a. comparable store sales, or comp. store sales, or "comp. sales" for short, or the even more abbreviated "comps." -- measure the revenue performance of a retail chain versus the previous year by looking at the percentage change in revenues in a certain month for stores that have been open for more than a year. Another indicator of a chain's performance is the change in total revenues year-over-year.
The following is a rundown of November comp. sales reported since yesterday's close:
Store Comps. Total
American Eagle Outf. <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(Nasdaq: AEOS)") else Response.Write("(Nasdaq: AEOS)") end if %> +24.8% +39.1%
Ames Department Stores <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(Nasdaq: AMES)") else Response.Write("(Nasdaq: AMES)") end if %> +10.0% +11.0%
Bon-Ton Stores <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(Nasdaq: BONT)") else Response.Write("(Nasdaq: BONT)") end if %> -2.2% +0.9%
Braun's Fashions <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(Nasdaq: BFCI)") else Response.Write("(Nasdaq: BFCI)") end if %> -6.0% +2.8%
Burlington Coat Fact. <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE: BCF)") else Response.Write("(NYSE: BCF)") end if %>-Q2 -3.0% -1.0%
Catherines Stores <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(Nasdaq: CATH)") else Response.Write("(Nasdaq: CATH)") end if %> +8.1% +6.7%
Costco <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(Nasdaq: COST)") else Response.Write("(Nasdaq: COST)") end if %> +9.0% +13.0%
Dollar General <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE: DG)") else Response.Write("(NYSE: DG)") end if %> +4.7% +17.8%
Federated Department Stores <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE: FD)") else Response.Write("(NYSE: FD)") end if %> -0.2% -1.5%
Finish Line <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(Nasdaq: FINL)") else Response.Write("(Nasdaq: FINL)") end if %> -- Q3 -5.0% +14.0%
Footstar <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE: FTS)") else Response.Write("(NYSE: FTS)") end if %> -12.7% -8.5%
Goody's Family Clothing <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(Nasdaq: GDYS)") else Response.Write("(Nasdaq: GDYS)") end if %> -10.0% +1.9%
Gymboree <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(Nasdaq: GYMB)") else Response.Write("(Nasdaq: GYMB)") end if %> -10.0% +9.0%
Haverty Furniture Cos. <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE: HVT)") else Response.Write("(NYSE: HVT)") end if %> +5.8% +8.0%
J. Baker <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(Nasdaq: JBAK)") else Response.Write("(Nasdaq: JBAK)") end if %> -12.5% -11.7%
J.C. Penny <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE: JCP)") else Response.Write("(NYSE: JCP)") end if %> +4.9% +3.0%
Kmart <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE: KM)") else Response.Write("(NYSE: KM)") end if %> +2.5% +5.2%
The Limited <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE: LTD)") else Response.Write("(NYSE: LTD)") end if %> +8.0% +1.0%
Lowe's Cos. <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE: LOW)") else Response.Write("(NYSE: LOW)") end if %> +6.9% +21.1%
Mothers Work <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(Nasdaq: MWRK)") else Response.Write("(Nasdaq: MWRK)") end if %> +12.1% +16.1%
Musicland Stores <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE: MLG)") else Response.Write("(NYSE: MLG)") end if %> +0.3% -0.8%
Perfumania <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(Nasdaq: PRFM)") else Response.Write("(Nasdaq: PRFM)") end if %> -3.0% -0.3%
Pier 1 Imports <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE: PIR)") else Response.Write("(NYSE: PIR)") end if %> 0.0% +3.0%
Sharper Image <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(Nasdaq: SHRP)") else Response.Write("(Nasdaq: SHRP)") end if %> +17.0% +33.0%
Shoe Carnival <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(Nasdaq: SCVL)") else Response.Write("(Nasdaq: SCVL)") end if %> +2.4% +21.6%
ShopKo Stores <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE: SKO)") else Response.Write("(NYSE: SKO)") end if %> +3.0% +16.7%
S&K Famous Brands <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(Nasdaq: SKFB)") else Response.Write("(Nasdaq: SKFB)") end if %> +7.0% +17.0%
Talbots <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE: TLB)") else Response.Write("(NYSE: TLB)") end if %> +14.3% +17.0%
Sunglass Hut <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(Nasdaq: RAYS)") else Response.Write("(Nasdaq: RAYS)") end if %> +1.4% +2.4%
Wal-Mart <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE: WMT)") else Response.Write("(NYSE: WMT)") end if %> +7.6% +13.7%
News to Go
Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(Nasdaq: TMCS)") else Response.Write("(Nasdaq: TMCS)") end if %> will begin trading today as the newest Internet initial public offering (IPO). The company sold 7 million shares at an initial offering price of $14 a share, which was slightly above the estimated range. Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch, which is 70%-owned by Barry Diller's USA Networks <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(Nasdaq: USAI)") else Response.Write("(Nasdaq: USAI)") end if %>, provides local city guides, local advertising, and live event ticketing on the Internet.
Drug maker Eli Lilly & Co. <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE: LLY)") else Response.Write("(NYSE: LLY)") end if %> said a study shows that its bone-protecting drug Evista reduces the risk of spine fractures in older women. Spine fractures are one of the first signs of thinning of the bones. In a study of more than 7,000 women, about 6% of those given Evista developed spine fractures, compared with 10% of those given a placebo.
Enterprise computer networking company Cabletron Systems <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE: CS)") else Response.Write("(NYSE: CS)") end if %> warned late yesterday it expects a fiscal third quarter (ended November 30) operating loss of about $0.10 a share before charges. Analysts were forecasting earnings of $0.11 a share, according to First Call. Revenues are estimated to be between $330 million and $340 million, compared with $331.8 million for the same year-earlier period.
Discount apparel catalog retailer Brylane <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE: BYL)") else Response.Write("(NYSE: BYL)") end if %> will likely get a boost today after Paris-based specialty retailer Pinault-Printemps-Redoute SA late yesterday announced a proposal to acquire all remaining Brylane shares it doesn't already own, which is about 50.1%, for $20 a share. The price represents a 16.8% premium over yesterday's closing price of $17 1/8.
More Foolishness
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Yi-Hsin Chang (TMF Puck), Writer
Jennifer Silber (TMF Amused), Editor
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