Articles for AnnTaylor

Ann’s Shares Sink After Weak Q4 Outlook

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Friday, February 3rd, 2012 by

Women’s apparel retailer Ann’s (NYSE:ANN) stock crashed by 7% Thursday, after the company provided a weaker-than-anticipated fourth quarter performance update. The primary reason behind weak Q4 sales was disappointing performance in Ann Taylor stores channel, which recorded a decline of 11% in comp sales. Additionally, significantly high promotions in Ann Taylor stores to improve comps also took a toll on company’s overall gross margins, with the figure tumbling to 49% during the quarter. The “affordable luxury” retailer competes with other brands like Aeropostale (NYSE:ARO),  Jones Apparel Group (NYSE:JNY) and Limited Brands (NYSE:LTD).

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Ann Updates: Rising Sweater Inventories Could Weigh on Results

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Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012 by

Women’s apparel retailer Ann (NYSE:ANN) may face tough times ahead as the company’s sweater inventory levels continue to soar. According to a recent StoreIntel survey, the company is facing inventory buildup issues particularly in sweaters, which has forced Ann to increase its promotions from at least 40% to 50% during the holidays. With the holiday season over, we believe Ann may end the season with higher inventory levels than it is comfortable with. Additional promotions to clear inventory can also negatively impact the margins going forward. The “affordable luxury” retailer competes with other brands like Aeropostale (NYSE:ARO),  Jones Apparel Group (NYSE:JNY) and Limited Brands (NYSE:LTD).

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Ann Uses Student Models, Facebook to Tap Younger Market

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Wednesday, December 21st, 2011 by

Women’s apparel retailer Ann Inc. (NYSE:ANN) has kick-started ”Style for Students” campaign in order to revamp Ann Taylor’s brand image from mature women centric to a younger focus. The campaign features photos of 50 fashionable college girls wearing Ann Taylor, their brief bios, and an option to “Like” the images. Additionally by Liking the images, Ann is providing visitors a chance to win $500 worth of merchandise. The “affordable luxury” retailer competes with other brands like Aeropostale (NYSE:ARO),  Jones Apparel Group (NYSE:JNY) and Limited Brands (NYSE:LTD).

We have a price estimate of $28 for Ann’s stock, which is roughly 15% above the current market price.

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Ann Updates: Deep Discounts Raise Concerns on Margins

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Monday, December 12th, 2011 by

Women’s apparel retailer Ann Inc. (NYSE:ANN) ran big promotions, up to 50% on its Ann Taylor brand during the Black Friday weekend. The move comes as a surprise as Ann Taylor is not recognized as a high promotional retailer and will likely pressure margins in the fourth quarter. This testifies to the company’s decision to boost retail comps and could be a sign of potential near term weakness for its outlook. The “affordable luxury” retailer competes with other brands like Aeropostale (NYSE:ARO),  Jones Apparel Group (NYSE:JNY) and Limited Brands (NYSE:LTD).

We have a price estimate of $28 for Ann’s stock, which is roughly 10% above current market price.

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Ann Carried by LOFT and Internet Sales Growth, Supports $28 Value

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Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 by

Women’s apparel retailer Ann Inc. (NYSE:ANN) once again beat market estimates with a stunning Q3 earnings release riding on a strong performance in its LOFT brand and internet business; however it still faces some industry headwinds which is weighing on the stock. Alongside revenue growth of 12%, the company also managed to better its gross margins this quarter by 0.3% points, primarily due to higher full-priced selling at LOFT stores and the benefits realized from the growth in e-commerce channels. The “affordable luxury” retailer competes with other brands like Aeropostale (NYSE:ARO),  Jones Apparel Group (NYSE:JNY) and Limited Brands (NYSE:LTD).

We have revised our for Ann to $28, which is roughly 20% above current market price. The revision in our price estimate primarily reflects changes in company’s net cash/debt position along with the changes made to net store counts based on Q3 store count figures.

See our full analysis of Ann here

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Ann Taylor’s LOFT and E-Commerce Business Carrying Growth

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Wednesday, September 14th, 2011 by

Ann Taylor’s (NYSE:ANN) most recent results showed solid performance of its LOFT brand and a significant double digit increase in its e-commerce channels. The company also managed to post a gross margin comparable to that of last year, signifying the ability of luxury brands to counter the margin headwinds more effectively as compared to value based brands. The “affordable luxury” retailer for women competes with other brands like Aeropostale (NYSE:ARO),  Jones Apparel Group (NYSE:JNY) and Limited Brands (NYSE:LTD).

We have revised our $28 price estimate of Ann Taylor’s stock, which is roughly 20% above current market price. The adjustments in our price estimate primarily reflects adjustments made to the company’s current net cash/debt position and the capital expenditures. Ann Taylor announced an increase in its capital expenditures primarily for opening new stores, which has caused a decline in our price estimate. Read More »

Ann Taylor Earnings Preview: What We’re Watching on Friday

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Thursday, August 18th, 2011 by

Ann Inc ‘s (NYSE:ANN) stock has been sliding since last quarter’s earning release on May 20th. The downfall was primarily associated with the fall in gross margins by 2% and a relatively flat comp sales for LOFT stores. However on the brighter side, the company reported significant comp sale increases in Ann Taylor stores and its factory outlets. A massive increase in Ann’s e-commerce was another noticeable highlight from the Q1 results. We will watch for updates on these businesses as the company reports its Q2 earnings on August 19th. Ann Taylor is a specialty apparel retailer for women competing with brands like Aeropostale (NYSE:ARO),  Jones Apparel Group (NYSE:JNY) and Limited Brands (NYSE:LTD).

We currently have a near $31 Trefis price estimate for Ann which is around 40% higher than the current market price. Read More »

Web Sales Could Lift Ann’s Shares Higher

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Tuesday, June 21st, 2011 by

Ann Inc. (NYSE:ANN) reported strong growth in online sales in its recently released Q1’11 earnings. The leading specialty retailer of women’s apparel, shoes and accessories primarily competes with firms like Aeropostale (NYSE:ARO),  J.Crew Group (NYSE:JCG), Jones Apparel Group (NYSE: JNY) and Limited Brands (NYSE:LTD) in the U.S. We currently have a near $31 Trefis price estimate for Ann with LOFT e-commerce and Ann Taylor e-commerce making up ~10% and ~9% of the firm’s value. Our price estimate is around 15% ahead of the current market price.

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Top 3 Sources of Value for Jones Apparel Group

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Friday, June 3rd, 2011 by

Jones Apparel Group (NYSE:JNY) is a multi-brand company that designs and markets women’s and children’s apparel, footwear, accessories, fragrances and jewelry. The company sells its products through third-party specialty retail stores and department stores, in addition to the company’s own retail stores, and it competes directly with comparable holding companies such as Liz Claiborne (NYSE:LIZ) and Phillips-Van Heusen (NYSE:PVH) as well as department store mainstays such as Polo Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL) and store-owned private labels.

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The 2 Largest Value Drivers for ANN Stock

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Monday, May 16th, 2011 by

Ann Inc. (NYSE:ANN) is a leading specialty retailer of women’s apparel, shoes and accessories in the U.S. It competes with firms like Aeropostale (NYSE:ARO),  J.Crew Group (NYSE:JCG), Jones Apparel Group (NYSE: JNY) and Limited Brands (NYSE:LTD). Here we take a look at the two largest drivers of ANN’s stock value.

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AnnTaylor : All Articles