Sale Could Lead To Special Dividend

Article Excerpt

JONES APPAREL GROUP INC. $28 (New York symbol JNY; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 108.9 million; Market cap: $3.1 billion; WSSF Rating: Average) has agreed to sell Barneys New York, its upscale clothing chain, for $770 million after taxes. To put that in context, Jones earned $251.8 million or $2.28 a share in 2006, excluding unusual items. Barneys was Jones’s fastest growing operation, so its sale will hurt the company’s overall growth. But Barneys’ profit margins were comparable to those of Jones’s other businesses, so the sale should have only a minor impact on earnings and cash flow. Jones will probably use the proceeds to pay down debt, invest in its core brands or buy back stock. It may also raise its current dividend of $0.56 a share (2.0% yield), or pay a special dividend. Jones Apparel Group is a buy. buy…