Streamlining, Cost Cuts Will Boost Results

Article Excerpt

These three apparel makers have moved down lately, as warmer-than-usual fall weather hurt sales of winter clothing. Cautious consumer spending in the face of rising gas prices and a slowing housing market have also hurt sales. However, all three are doing a good job selling less-profitable businesses and cutting costs. These moves will enhance their long-term profitability. All three are also cheap in relation to earnings. JONES APPAREL GROUP INC. $16 (New York symbol JNY; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 85.3 million; Market cap: $1.4 billion; WSSF Rating: Average) designs clothing, accessories and footwear under several brands, including Jones New York, Gloria Vanderbilt and Nine West. In September 2007, Jones sold its Barneys New York upscale clothing chain for $858.7 million. The company used the cash to buy back $496.9 million worth of its shares. Jones still has roughly $300 million remaining under its current authorization plan. If you exclude the gain from the Barneys sale and other unusual items, Jones’s…