TJX Raises Outlook on Solid Q2 Earnings

Same-store sales for the second quarter rose 3%, on top of a 4% increase in the year-ago quarter. The company said that currency exchange effects were neutral in the second quarter. European sales rose 6% on a same-store sales basis and Canadian sales rose 3%. In the United States, the Marshalls/T.J. Maxx pair had a same-store sales rise of 2% and the HomeGoods stores posted a rise of 5%.

The outlook for the third quarter calls for EPS of $0.81 to $0.85, compared with $0.86 in the third quarter of 2013 and a consensus estimate of $0.85, and same-store sales are expected to rise 1% to 2%. The company raised its estimate for full-year 2015 EPS to a range of $3.10 to $3.18. The current consensus estimate calls for full-year EPS of $3.14.

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The company’s CEO said:

Our customer traffic gained momentum throughout the quarter, and was positive in July. Further, we are pleased with our solid merchandise margins as well as the improved performance of our apparel businesses. … The third quarter is off to a solid start and we are excited about our opportunities for the second half of the year. … We are raising the bar on our marketing campaigns and gift-giving initiatives, which I believe are going to be even better than last year, and above all, we will be bringing consumers amazing values! We are very confident in our ability to deliver another strong year, on top of many, as we continue on the path to being a $40 billion-plus company.

As was the case with Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. (NYSE: DKS), results were not outstanding, even though TJX did beat both EPS and revenue estimates. The full-year EPS estimates raised the bottom of TJX’s prior estimated range by $0.05 and the top by $0.01. The consensus estimate actually slips a bit from above the midpoint of the forecast to right at the midpoint. CEO Carol Meyrowitz did reach one goal, though — TJX’s market cap topped $40 billion Tuesday.

Shares were up about 6.4% in early trading, at $57.26 in a 52-week range of $51.91 to $64.38. Thomson Reuters had a consensus analyst price target of around $64.00 before the results were announced.

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