Pick of the Junior Retailers – Two Retail buys for Value-Seekers

Article Excerpt

REITMANS (CANADA) LTD. $18.37 (Toronto symbol RET.A; SI Rating: Extra Risk) (514-384-1140; www.reitmans.com; Shares outstanding: 70.8 million; Market cap: $1.3 billion) is Canada’s largest specialty women’s wear retailer. The company now has 952 stores in operation, consisting of 366 Reitmans, 160 Smart Set/Dalmys, 162 Penningtons, 53 RW&Co., 124 Addition Elle, 73 Thyme Maternity and 14 Cassis stores. In the three months ended November 3, 2007, Reitmans’ revenues rose 2.7%, to $265.5 million from $258.6 million. The sales increase was due to the net addition of 17 stores from a year earlier. Comparable store sales fell 3.2%, as unseasonably warm weather in the latest quarter slowed sales of winter clothing lines. As well, sales growth slowed due to some shoppers taking advantage of the high Canadian dollar to buy clothes in the U.S. Earnings rose 17% in the latest quarter, to $27.4 million from $23.4 million a year earlier. Earnings per share rose 18.2%, to $0.39 from $0.33 on fewer shares outstanding. The strong…