Potential sale makes sense

Article Excerpt

LIMITED BRANDS INC. $29 (New York symbol LTD; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 400.1 million; Market cap: $11.6 billion; WSSF Rating: Average) may be trying to sell its 658 Express and 260 Limited apparel stores to private investors. That could raise $1 billion, including the real estate connected to these chains. Limited Brands earned $676 million in the fiscal year ended February 3, 2007, down 1.0% from $683 million a year earlier. Per-share earnings grew 1.2%, to $1.68 from $1.66, due to fewer shares outstanding. If you exclude one-time gains in the prior fiscal year, per-share earnings rose 26.3%. Revenue grew 10.3%, to $10.7 billion from $9.7 billion, while same-store sales grew 7%. The Express and Limited chains account for about 20% of Limited Brands’ total revenue. But profits at these operations have lagged behind strong gains at the Victoria’s Secret (lingerie) and Bath & Body Works (personal care products) chains. Selling them would let Limited Brands focus on its…