Whole Foods (NASDAQ:WFMI) is trading up in after-hours following the company’s earnings report. It posted 1.743 Billion revenues, and earnings were listed as $0.24 EPS (but that appears to be after $0.10 for pre-open and relocation stores and $0.04 in options). First Call had estimates at $0.30 EPS and $1.61 Billion in revenues. Its same store sales for the quarter were up 8%.
The company also boosted its quarterly dividend to $0.20 per share and now sees 25% to 30% sales growth in Fiscal 2008 with another gain in comparable sales between 7.5% to 9.5%. The high end consumer is still alive and isn’t being driven back to cheaper food. Other metrics:
- The Company expects to open a comparable number of new stores in fiscal year 2008 as in fiscal year 2007.
- Capital expenditures for the fiscal year are expected to be in the range of $575 million to $625 million.
- The Company currently operates 269 stores totaling 9.3 million square feet and has 87 stores in development totaling 4.5 million square feet.
- Longer term, the Company’s goal is to reach $12 billion in sales in fiscal year 2010.
Shares closed down 1.8% at $42.25 today, but shares are now up over 7% to $45.32 in after-hours. This could have been somewhat seen if you follow the supply chain with others today, although the internal metrics and guidance was of course a wild card. This follows the 6.6% rise in shares of United Natural Foods (NASDAQ:UNFI) today after its own earnings.
Jon C. Ogg
November 20, 2007
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