Finance & Capital Management

NEW YORK — Saks Inc. announced reported net income of $28.4 million, or 16 cents per diluted share, for the first quarter. For the prior year first quarter, the company recorded net income of $18.8 million, or 11 cents per diluted share. 

Stephen Sadove, chairman and CEO, noted, "I am very pleased with our first quarter results. Our improved year-over-year performance was driven by a 10.2% comparable-store sales increase and continued gross margin rate improvement."

Framingham, Mass. -- TJX Cos. reported Tuesday that net income for the first quarter plummeted 20% on the closing of its A.J. Wright stores, but strong sales buoyed the retailer’s full-year forecasts.

TJX earned $266 million in the quarter ended April 30, compared with $331.4 million in the year-ago period. Revenue increased 4% to $5.22 billion, surpassing Wall Street's estimate of $5.14 billion.

Same-store sales increased 2%.

TJX raised the low end of forecast for full-year adjusted earnings.
 

Atlanta -- Home Depot reported Tuesday that profit rose 12% in the first quarter, beating Wall Street estimates and causing the retailer to boost its outlook for the full year.

Home Depot earned $812 million in the quarter ended May 1, compared with $725 million in the year-ago period.

Revenue, however, slipped 0.2% to $16.82 billion on a weaker spring selling season, missing analysts’ expectations of $17.06 billion.

Same-store sales dipped 0.6%, with U.S. stores down 0.7%.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores reported Tuesday that net income for the first quarter ended April 30 rose 3% to $3.39 billion, beating Wall Street estimates. Overall results were powered by overseas stores and stringent cost controls, but business in the United States remains soft as U.S. Walmart stores posted an eighth straight quarter of same-store declines.

Wal-Mart's U.S. division recorded a 0.3% dip in same-store revenue, dragged down by a 1.1% drop at its namesake stores. Same-store sales increased 4.2% at Sam’s Club warehouse stores.

Voorhees, N.J. -- Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust announced Monday that Voorhees Town Hall has opened at the mixed-use Voorhees Town Center, located in Voorhees, N.J.

On Monday, more than 50 Voorhees Township employees moved in to the new municipal office, which is located on the upper level of the mall across from Macy’s and also features a street-level entrance.

New York City -- Centro Properties Group, based in New York City, announced that two DSW stores recently opened in Connecticut; in North Haven, a 24,824-sq.-ft. store opened, and in Manchester, a 20,000-sq.-ft. store opened.

The North Haven store is located at North Haven Crossing, and the Manchester store is located at Slater Street, near Buckland Hills Mall.
 

St. Petersburg, Fla. -- Publix Super Markets said Tuesday it is closing all 40 of its Little Clinics – in-store mini-clinics offering minor medical treatments – after five years in operation.

According to an item in the St. Petersburg Times, 10 of the 12 locations in the Tampa Bay area have closed, and the remainder will be closed on yet-to-be-determined dates.

Dallas -- Lucernex Technologies said Tuesday that Jack in the Box has implemented Lucernex’s store lifecycle management solution to manage its real estate portfolio, which includes more than 2,200 Jack in the Box restaurants across 19 states.

According to Lucernex, by implementing the retail version of the Lx Retail product suite, Jack in the Box can streamline its process of selecting store sites, building and opening new store locations, as well as managing existing locations to avoid time delays and save costs.

New York City -- Citing a strong rebound in luxury spending, Saks reported Tuesday that net income for the quarter ended April 30 soared 51% to $28.4 million, compared with $18.8 million in the year-ago period.

Revenue rose 9% to $726 million, and CEO Stephen Sadove said that he is “increasingly optimistic about the future. With the rebound in the financial markets, the luxury sector has rebounded as well.”

The retailer reported that same-store sales surged 10.2% in the quarter.
 

Philadelphia -- Urban Outfitters reported Monday that profit for the first quarter declined more than expected, posting net income of $39 million compared with $53 million a year earlier.

However, revenue topped Wall Street's estimates, as the operator of Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People and Terrain banners saw sales rise 9% to $524 million. Same-store sales fell 5%. But direct-to-consumer (catalogs and online) same-store sales increased 15%.