Cost cuts brighten retailers’ prospects

Article Excerpt

Department store operators Nordstrom, Macy’s and J.C. Penney have cut costs and slowed their expansion plans during the recession. Lower costs, plus their strong reputations and popular brands, should spur their earnings as the economy recovers. NORDSTROM INC. $37 (New York symbol JWN; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 217.5 million; Market cap: $8.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.9; Dividend yield: 1.7%; WSSF Rating: Average) mainly sells upscale clothing, accessories and footwear. The company owns and operates 184 outlets, including 122 department stores, in 28 U.S. states. In the fiscal year ended January 30, 2010, Nordstrom earned $441.0 million, or $2.01 a share. That’s up 10.0% from $401.0 million, or $1.83 a share, in the prior year. The company is doing a good job of managing its inventory, which lowers the need for costly clearance sales. That was the main reason for the higher earnings. Overall revenue rose 0.6%, to $8.63 billion from $8.57 billion. However, the gain was entirely due to…