Why Tiffany Is Picking Up Going Into Its New Fiscal Year

[cnxvideo id=”655415″ placement=”ros”]Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF) reported its most recent quarter financial results before the markets opened on Friday. The company posted $1.45 in earnings per share (EPS) and $1.23 billion in revenue, versus consensus estimates of $1.38 in EPS and revenue of $1.22 billion. The fiscal fourth-quarter of last year reportedly had EPS of $1.46 and $1.21 billion in revenue.

Worldwide net sales rose 1% in the fourth quarter and comparable store sales were unchanged from the prior year. On a constant-exchange-rate basis, worldwide net sales rose 2% and comparable store sales were unchanged from the prior year.

In terms of the outlook for the 2017 fiscal year, the company expects to see worldwide net sales increase by a low-single-digit to a mid-single-digit percentage and EPS to increase by a mid-single-digit percentage. The consensus estimates call for $3.87 in EPS and $4.09 billion in revenue for the fiscal year.

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The company generated more than $700 million of cash flow from operating activities and $479 million in free cash flow over the past fiscal year. On the books, Tiffany’s cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments totaled $986 million at the end of the quarter, up from $887 million in the same period of last year.

Michael J. Kowalski, board chair and interim CEO, commented:

Despite macroeconomic and geopolitical challenges in the past year that we believe will continue in 2017, we strongly believe that Tiffany’s strategies are sound and that we have meaningful growth opportunities. Our management team is focused on accelerating the execution of our strategies to deliver extraordinary products, communications and experiences that will delight our customers around the world. Through strong leadership and this accelerated execution, we believe we are well-positioned to deliver attractive total shareholder return over the long-term.

Shares of Tiffany closed Thursday at $89.98, with a consensus analyst price target of $85.41 and a 52-week trading range of $56.99 to $92.74. Following the release of the earnings report, the stock was up 3.2% at $92.89 in early trading indications Friday.

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