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To: Smiling Bob who wrote (94758)	11/15/2007 9:07:24 AM
From: Smiling Bob	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 306849

Williams-Sonoma profit off; cites housing weakness Thursday November 15, 7:58 am ET NEW YORK (Reuters) - Upscale home furnishings retailer Williams-Sonoma Inc (NYSE:WSM - News) posted lower quarterly profit on Thursday, but beat analysts' expectations, as the weak U.S. housing market hurt sales of home goods. ADVERTISEMENT The company also said it was looking at the current quarter with "a heightened sense of caution" since it believed the overall weakness in the macro environment is having a greater impact on consumers. Net income in the third quarter ended October 28 fell to $27.1 million, or 25 cents a share, from $29.1 million, or 25 cents a share, a year earlier. Analysts, on average, expected 24 cents a share, according to Reuters Estimates. Quarterly sales rose 5 percent to $895.1 million. The company said it was on track for fourth-quarter earnings of $1.20 to $1.26 per share and revenue of $1.387 billion to $1.417 billion. However, Chief Executive Howard Lester warned that earnings and sales could come in at the lower end of its forecast if the weak macro environment persists. "We believe that the macro environment is weakening and that retail traffic is slower than we would have expected at this time in November," Lester said in a statement. Analysts expect it to earn $1.22 in the quarter. For the full year, the company raised the lower end of sales guidance slightly, forecasting net revenue of $3.957 billion to $3.987 billion after previously forecasting sales of $3.949 billion to $3.999 billion. Analysts expect $3.969 billion in sales. The company also said same-store sales would be flat to up 1 percent for the year compared to its previous forecast of flat to up 1.5 percent.

To: Smiling Bob who wrote (94758)	11/15/2007 9:10:12 AM
From: DebtBomb	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 306849

JCP warns. Blame it on the weather. ;-)

To: Smiling Bob who wrote (94758)	11/15/2007 11:55:17 AM
From: Smiling Bob	Respond to of 306849

Nope, I don't see no inflation nowheres. Just an economy with strains. Four-maybe five at the most. Nothing a little BenGay can't fix news.google.com ---- J UPDATE: Lifeway Foods 3Q Profit Falls 37% On Higher Costs . By Jerry DiColo Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Lifeway Foods Inc. (LWAY) Thursday posted a 37% drop in third-quarter profit, missing Wall Street forecasts on high milk, transportation and production costs. The news sent shares of the Morton Grove, Ill., dairy products company down as much as 21% to a four-and-a-half month low. The shares were recently down 19% at $11.10. Lifeway Foods, best known for its yogurt-like dairy beverage, Kefir, said its third-quarter net income fell to $468,194, or 3 cents a share, from $739,959, or 4 cents, a year earlier. Revenue rose 32% to $9.82 million from $7.46 million a year earlier. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial forecast earnings, on average, of 6 cents a share, on revenue of $10.2 million. The company said the cost of milk hit a record high in September, and though it dropped slightly last month, the company said it wasn't assured that this would be a continuing, downward trend. "We have not yet passed these cost increases onto our customers; however if these costs continue to rise, we will have no choice but to raise our prices," Chief Executive Julie Smolyansky said in a press release. -Jerry A. DiColo, 201-938-2007; and Shirleen Dorman; 201-938-5400; AskNewswires@dowjones.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires November 15, 2007 11:46 ET (16:46 GMT) Copyright (c) 2007 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.- - 11 46 AM EST 11-15-07