Apparel Stores Announce Earnings Results and Expansion Plans - Analyst Notes on DSW, Abercrombie & Fitch, Ross Stores, Gap and Nordstrom

NEW YORK, June 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Today, Analysts Review released its analysts' notes regarding DSW Inc. (NYSE: DSW), Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF), Ross Stores Inc. (NASDAQ: ROST), Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) and Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE: JWN). Private wealth members receive these notes ahead of publication. To reserve complementary membership, limited openings are available at: http://www.analystsreview.com/3261-100free.

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DSW Inc. Analyst Notes
On May 28, 2014, DSW Inc. (DSW) reported its financial results for Q1 FY 2014 (period ended May 3, 2014). Net sales for the quarter decreased 0.4% YoY to $599.0 million. Net income was $38.6 million or $0.42 per diluted share, compared to net income of $34.5 million or $0.38 per diluted share in Q1 FY 2013. Commenting on the results, President and CEO of DSW, Mike McDonald said, "We had a challenging quarter due to unseasonal weather and an aggressively promotional retail environment. We sharpened our prices for key items while proactively managing our clearance levels during the quarter. Monthly sales trends were weak but improved sequentially during the quarter. Our team is working hard to deliver an effective assortment with a compelling value message and we expect these initiatives to gain traction in the back half of the year." The full analyst notes on DSW are available to download free of charge at:

http://www.analystsreview.com/Jun-03-2014/DSW/report.pdf

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Abercrombie & Fitch Co. Analyst Notes
On May 29, 2014, Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (Abercrombie & Fitch) reported its financial results for Q1 FY 2014 (period ended May 3, 2014). For the quarter, net sales decreased 1.9% YoY to $822.4 million. Net loss came in at $23.7 million or $0.32 per diluted share, compared to net loss of $7.2 million or $0.09 per diluted share in Q1 FY 2013. Abercrombie & Fitch CEO, Mike Jeffries commented, "In what remains a difficult teen retail environment, we are pleased that earnings for the quarter were in line with our expectations. Overall sales for the quarter decreased 2%, which included strong growth in our direct-to-consumer business. In addition, comparable sales continued to head in the right direction, and included significant sequential improvement in our female business and our Abercrombie & Fitch brand as a whole." The full analyst notes on Abercrombie & Fitch are available to download free of charge at:

http://www.analystsreview.com/Jun-03-2014/ANF/report.pdf

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Ross Stores Inc. Analyst Notes
On May 22, 2014, Ross Stores Inc. (Ross Stores) reported its financial results for Q1 FY 2014 (period ended May 3, 2014). Quarterly revenues for Ross Stores increased 5.5% YoY to $2.7 billion. Net earnings stood at $243.9 million or $1.15 per diluted share, compared to $234.6 million or $1.07 per diluted share in Q1 FY 2013. Commenting on the results, Vice Chairman and CEO of Ross Stores, Michael Balmuth said, "First quarter earnings per share performed at the high end of our guidance as strict inventory and expense controls offset the impact from unfavorable weather and a more challenging retail environment. Sales trends improved in April with more seasonal Spring weather that coincided with the later Easter shopping period." Looking ahead, Mr. Balmuth said, "For the 13 weeks ending August 2, 2014, we are forecasting same store sales to increase 1% to 2% on top of 4% and 7% gains in the second quarters of 2013 and 2012, respectively. Earnings per share for the 2014 second quarter are projected to be in the range of $1.05 to $1.09, up from $.98 last year." The full analyst notes on Ross Stores are available to download free of charge at:

http://www.analystsreview.com/Jun-03-2014/ROST/report.pdf

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Gap Inc. Analyst Notes
On May 27, 2014, Banana Republic, a division of Gap Inc., announced the expansion of its ONE+ALL program that commits volunteer hours and fund-raising support to organizations that make a difference in communities where the brand's employees work and live. According to the Company, over the first weekend in June, customers are invited to shop for a cause in support of four non-profit organizations: Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys & Girls Clubs, Dress for Success, and Habitat For Humanity. Describing the program, the Company said that ONE+ALL was launched in 2010 to encourage employees to support their local communities through volunteering, tying back to the social-minded spirit of Banana Republic's hometown of San Francisco. Since the launch of the program, Banana Republic employees have volunteered over 178,000 hours of service, informed the Company. The full analyst notes on Gap are available to download free of charge at:

http://www.analystsreview.com/Jun-03-2014/GPS/report.pdf

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Nordstrom Inc. Analyst Notes
On May 29, 2014, Nordstrom Inc. (Nordstrom) announced plans to further expand in the Bay Area with the addition of a Nordstrom Rack in Emeryville, California, at the East Bay Bridge Shopping Center. Nordstrom informed that the approximately 38,000-square-foot store is scheduled to open in fall 2015, and that the property is owned and managed by Federal Realty Investment Trust. The full analyst notes on Nordstrom are available to download free of charge at:

http://www.analystsreview.com/Jun-03-2014/JWN/report.pdf

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