Finance & Capital Management

JAB Holding Company, the Luxembourg-based private equity firm, continues to expand its U.S. portfolio at a rapid pace. The company has entered into an agreement to buy Bruegger’s Bagels from Le Duff America, the Dallas-based parent of la Madeleine French Bakery & Cafe. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.  

Dollar Tree turned in a strong quarterly performance that blew past profit and sales forecasts as consumers' love affair with dollar stores shows no signs of abating.    Net income rose to $233.8 million, or 98 cents per share, in the second quarter ended July 29, from $170.2 million, or 72 cents per share, in the year-ago period. Excluding items, Dollar Tree earned 99 cents per share, beating the analysts' estimate of 87 cents per share.  

As much as Sears deserves credit for the various actions it has been taking to shore up the company, there is no denying that this (Sears second quarter financials) is a miserable set of numbers. Indeed, the precipitous drop in comparable sales and the continued lack of progress on profit suggests the company isn't moving far or fast enough to ensure its long-term survival.  

An 11-year veteran of Canadian department store giant HBC is stepping down.    HBC, whose banners include Hudson's Bay, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Lord & Taylor, announced that Don Watros, president of HBC International, has made the decision to leave, effective September 29, 2017. The company did not name a successor.   

Sears Holdings Corp.'s second-quarter earnings beat the Street as it benefitted from cost-saving initiatives. But it continued to struggle with weak traffic and declining sales, and added 28 more locations to its long list of store closings.    Sears reported that its second-quarter loss narrowed to $251 million, or $2.34 per share, in the quarter ended July 29, helped by cost savings resulting from the streamlining of operations and store closings.  

J.Crew Group named an internal associate as CFO as the retailer continues to struggle to turn around its namesake brand.   The retailer announced that Vincent Zanna, previously senior VP of finance and treasurer, has been promoted to CFO and treasurer, effective immediately. He will continue to report to Michael Nicholson, who was previously CFO and COO, and now serves as president and COO.    

Abercrombie & Fitch on Thursday posted a much smaller than expected second quarter loss and better than expected sales amid strong demand for its Hollister brand.    The company reported a net loss of $15.5 million, or $.23 per share, for the quarter ended July 29, compared to $13.1 million, or $.19 per share last year. Excluding certain one-time items, Abercrombie posted a net loss of $11.0 million, or $.16 per share, compared to $16.8 million last year. Analysts on average had expected a loss of $.33.  

Mod Super Fast Pizza Holdings has named its first chief marketing officer.   The Seattle-based company has appointed Tracy Cioffi as chief marketing officer, effective immediately. She will lead the fast-casual restaurant chain's global marketing strategy.