Staples Tumbles on Disappointing Q2, Lower Outlook

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By Trey Thoelcke Published
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Staples Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLS) tumbled in premarket trading after posting disappointing second-quarter results and lowering its full-year guidance.

The retailer reported quarterly earnings of $120.4 million, or $0.18 per share, and $5.5 billion in revenue.  That compares to $0.25 per share and $5.82 billion in the same period a year ago, as well as the Thomson Reuters consensus estimates of $0.22 per share and $5.72 billion.

Staples says it now anticipates a low single-digit percentage rise in its full-year earnings. Analysts expect earnings of $1.47 per share, which would be a 7% increase from the prior-year period. Staples also sees full-year revenue flat year-over-year at $25 billion, compared to a consensus estimate of $25.25 billion.

The company said sales of computers, software and basic office supplies were soft. Traffic at stores slipped 2%, and North American retail sales declined 3% while international sales dropped 18%.

“We’re taking a hard look at each of our businesses, and we plan to make significant changes to improve results,” said chairman and CEO Ron Sargent. “We’re also building a plan to reallocate resources, take advantage of our best growth opportunities, and drive increased cost savings.”

Competitor OfficeMax Inc. (NYSE: OMX) reported better-than-expected second-quarter EPS but lower sales, while Office Depot Inc. (NYSE: ODP) posted a wider net loss for the second quarter.

Shares of Staples are down by 12.6% at $11.75 on premarket trading, in a 52-week trading range of $12.10 to $16.93. Thomson Reuters had a consensus analyst price target of $15.43 before this news.

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About the Author Trey Thoelcke →

Trey has been an editor and author at 24/7 Wall St. for more than a decade, where he has published thousands of articles analyzing corporate earnings, dividend stocks, short interest, insider buying, private equity, and market trends. His comprehensive coverage spans the full spectrum of financial markets, from blue-chip stalwarts to emerging growth companies.

Beyond 24/7 Wall St., Trey has created and edited financial content for Benzinga and AOL's BloggingStocks, contributing additional hundreds of articles to the investment community. He previously oversaw the 24/7 Climate Insights site, managing editorial operations and content strategy, and currently oversees and creates content for My Investing News.

Trey's editorial expertise extends across multiple publishing environments. He served as production editor at Dearborn Financial Publishing and development editor at Kaplan, where he helped shape financial education materials. Earlier in his career, he worked as a writer-producer at SVE. His freelance editing portfolio includes work for prestigious clients such as Sage Publications, Rand McNally, the Institute for Supply Management, the American Library Association, Eggplant Literary Productions, and Spiegel.

Outside of financial journalism, Trey writes fiction and has been an active member of the writing community for years, overseeing a long-running critique group and moderating workshop sessions at regional conventions. He lives with his family in an old house in the Midwest.

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