Higher costs hurt ARO

Article Excerpt

AEROPOSTALE INC. $17.60 (New York symbol ARO; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (646-485-5410; www.aeropostale.com; Shares outstanding: 92.8 million; Market cap: $1.4 billion; No dividends paid) reported 1.2% higher sales in the three months ended April 30, 2011, to $469.2 million from $463.6 million. Even so, earnings per share fell 58.3%, to $0.20 from $0.48. The company’s costs rose sharply in the latest quarter, especially for clothing, due to a sharp rise in cotton prices. Aeropostale also had to offer big discounts to clear spring inventory to position itself for the key back-to-school shopping season. Aeropostale operates in a highly competitive market. That makes it hard for the company to pass on higher costs to its customers. However, its online sales continue to grow rapidly. As well, Aeropostale should continue to grow internationally over the longer term, especially in Asia and Latin America. Aeropostale is still a buy. buy…