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Strategies & Market Trends : Can you beat 50% per month? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Smiling Bob who wrote (6629)	11/12/2003 1:43:48 PM
From: MrBuzz	Respond to of 19256

Wait until Dana Telsley (Bears Stearns) comes on .... then don't short immediately... give it a few as it distributes. Buzz me when you see that cutey on CNBC ;o)

To: Smiling Bob who wrote (6629)	11/13/2003 11:08:44 AM
From: Smiling Bob	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 19256

TIF - 44.04 now - Many retailers to get hit hard coming off of the holidays Plenty of good shorts there Associated Press Tiffany 3rd-Qtr. Profits Drop 20 Percent Thursday November 13, 10:55 am ET By Anne D'Innocenzio, AP Business Writer Tiffany Reports 20 Percent Decline in Third-Quarter Earnings, Matching Wall Street Expectations NEW YORK (AP) -- Tiffany & Co.'s profits dropped 20 percent in the third quarter, hurt by comparisons to earnings a year earlier that were buttressed by a tax benefit. The results matched Wall Street expectations. The company also announced Thursday that worldwide sales rose 18 percent for the period, and it upgraded its earnings outlook for the year based on generally improving conditions. The upscale New York-based jewelry retailer said it earned $28.03 million, or 19 cents per share, for the three months ended Oct. 31. That compared with $35.18 million, or 24 cents per share, in the year-ago period. Tiffany had a one-time tax benefit of $8.02 million, or 5 cents per share, in the third quarter of 2002. Analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call had expected earnings of 19 cents per share in the third quarter. The company's sales rose to $430.12 million from $366.03 million a year ago. Worldwide, excluding the effects of currency conversion, net sales increased 15 percent and same-store sales rose 10 percent. Same-store sales -- sales at stores opened at least a year -- are considered the best indicator of a retailer's health. "We are delighted with the dramatically improving sales trends we've seen in the U.S. this year, characterized by extraordinary growth in diamond jewelry sales, as well as strength in a number of international markets," said chairman and CEO Michael J. Kowalski. He noted that business in Japan has performed below expectations, largely due to especially weak sales of silver jewelry. U.S. retail sales in the third quarter increased 20 percent to $202.84 million. On a same-store sales basis, sales in the quarter rose 16 percent -- up 16 percent in branch stores and 15 percent at Tiffany's New York flagship location. International retail sales gained 11 percent to $173.53 million in the third quarter. On a constant-exchange rate basis, international retail sales increased 5 percent. Direct marketing sales increased 5 percent to $39.31 million. Combined Internet and catalog sales increased 23 percent in the quarter. The company said it now expects earnings of $1.35 per share to $1.40 per share for the year, upgraded from $1.33 per share to $1.38 per share. Analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call anticipate $1.40 per share. For the nine months ended Oct. 31, the company earned $105.04 million, or 71 cents per share, compared with $100.6 million, or 68 per share a year ago. Sales rose to $1.27 billion from $1.09 billion a year ago. Tiffany shares were down more than 6 percent, or $3.28 per share, to $44.85 in morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange, where many major retail stocks were lower.