Aeropostale Earnings Continue Downward Spiral

By Chris Lange Updated Jan 13, 11:48AM EST · Published Mar 17, 4:35PM EDT

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Aeropostale Earnings Continue Downward Spiral — © Thinkstock

Aéropostale, Inc. (NYSE: ARO) reported fiscal fourth quarter financial results after the markets closed on Thursday. The company had a net loss per share of $0.14 and $489 million in revenue compared to consensus estimates that called for a net loss of $0.14 per share on $519.69 million in revenue. The same period from the previous year had $0.01 in earnings per share (EPS) on $593.76 million in revenue.

Comparable sales, including the e-commerce channel, for the fourth quarter decreased 6.7% compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014.

The company closed 13 Aéropostale stores during the quarter. For the fourth quarter, Aéropostale invested $1.8 million in planned capital expenditures.

In terms of first quarter guidance, the company expects to have a net loss per share in the range of $0.35 to $0.42. There are consensus estimates that call for a net loss of $0.40 per share on $290.02 million in revenue.

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Julian R. Geiger, CEO of Aéropostale, commented:

Our fourth quarter 2015 adjusted operating loss of $7.6 million was within our previously issued guidance. Additionally, the initial reaction to both our Spring product and our two-chain Factory and Mall strategy is very encouraging with comparable sales turning positive since our Factory Chain launch at the end of February.

On the books, cash and cash equivalents totaled $65.1 million at the end of the quarter compared to $151.8 million in the same period from the previous year.

Shares of Aéropostale closed Thursday at $0.48, with a consensus analyst price target of $0.76 and a 52-week trading range of $0.16 to $3.64. Following the release of the earnings report the stock was down 40% at $0.29 in the after-hours trading session.

About the Author Chris Lange →

Chris Lange is a writer for 24/7 Wall St., based in Houston. He has covered financial markets over the past decade with an emphasis on healthcare, tech, and IPOs. During this time, he has published thousands of articles with insightful analysis across these complex fields. Currently, Lange's focus is on military and geopolitical topics.

Lange's work has been quoted or mentioned in Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, USA Today, MSN, Yahoo, The Verge, Vice, The Intelligencer, Quartz, Nasdaq, The Motley Fool, Fox Business, International Business Times, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Barron’s, Benzinga, and many other major publications.

A graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Lange majored in business with a particular focus on investments. He has previous experience in the banking industry and startups.