Retailers report upbeat sales in February

Wal-Mart reported a 4.1 percent increase in same-store sales, surpassing the estimates of analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call; they had forecast a 3.7 percent gain. Total sales rose 10.9 percent.

Target said same-store sales rose 9.0 percent, exceeding the 6.4 percent estimate. Total sales rose 16.1 percent.

TJX Cos. reported a 6 percent gain in same-store sales, better than the 5.1 percent Wall Street expected. Total sales rose 12 percent.

The department store sector also had a solid month, with luxury retailers again reporting the biggest gains.

Nordstrom Inc. had a 7.0 percent increase, well exceeding the 3.7 percent Wall Street estimate. Total sales rose 8.4 percent.

Neiman Marcus Group Inc. said Wednesday it had a 7.7 percent gain in same-store sales, better than the 5.5 percent forecast. Total sales rose 6.5 percent.

Penney had a 6.1 percent gain in same-store sales in its department store business, better than the 4.3 percent projection. Total sales rose 6.6 percent.

Federated had a 1.8 percent gain in same-store sales, better than the 0.5 percent decline Wall Street expected. Total sales rose 1.6 percent.

Sears’ same-store sales in its domestic business rose 1.3 percent, surpassing the 0.4 percent estimate from Wall Street. Total sales rose 2.2 percent.

But May suffered a 4.1 percent decline in same-store sales, worse than the 2.7 percent Wall Street anticipated. Total sales rose 14.5 percent.

Talbots had an 8.1 percent gain in same-store sales, surpassing Wall Street’s 2 percent estimate. Total sales rose 13 percent.

“Our performance was driven primarily by strength in regular-price selling of our early spring merchandise,” Talbots CEO Arnold B. Zetcher said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Gap Inc. had a 3 percent decline in same-store sales, though that was better than the 4 percent drop Wall Street expected. Total sales were unchanged.

Limited suffered a 4 percent decline in same-store sales, worse than the 1.3 percent forecast. Total sales fell 0.6 percent.

AnnTaylor Stores Corp. had a 5.4 percent decline in same-store sales, though that was better than the 7.0 percent forecast. Total sales rose 6.7 percent.

Teen retailers had a solid performance.

Abercrombie & Fitch posted a 19.0 percent gain in same-store sales in February, well past the 8.6 percent projection. Total sales rose 33 percent.

American Eagle Outfitters Inc. said Wednesday same-store sales soared 32.4 percent, beating the 12.9 percent estimate. Total sales rose 37.4 percent.

Also on Wednesday, Aeropostale Inc. said same-store sales rose 13.4 percent, exceeding the 1.9 percent forecast. Total sales rose 37.8 percent.

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