Zacks.com Features the Following Top Stocks in the Clothing Retail Industry: Abercrombie & Fitch, bebe stores, Pacific Sunwear, American Eagle Outfitters, and Aeropostale

Business Wire, Nov 29, 2004

CHICAGO -- The All Stars have five recommendations from the clothing retail industry to keep you in the black even if consumers get stingy. Read about Abercrombie & Fitch Company (NYSE:ANF), bebe stores, inc. (NASDAQ:BEBE), Pacific Sunwear of California, Inc. (NASDAQ:PSUN), American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEOS), and Aeropostale, Inc. (NYSE:ARO). Discover the full story at Zacks.com http://at.zacks.com/?id=96

What Do The All Stars Recommend:

Abercrombie & Fitch Company (NYSE:ANF): Excluding a charge, Abercrombie & Fitch reported fiscal third quarter earnings per share of 64 cents in early November, compared to 51 cents in the year-ago quarter. The consensus was expecting approximately 58 cents, marking a positive earnings surprise that exceeded +10%. Reported sales reached $520.7 million, or +17% ahead of last year's $445 million. Same-store sales increased +1%. Abercrombie & Fitch continues to make significant investments in and valuable additions to its design and merchandising teams as well as its store organization.

bebe stores, inc. (NASDAQ:BEBE): The Street's excitement for bebe stores can be easily understood by looking at some of the company's recent announcements, such as a strong October that saw retail sales surge +40.5% to $35.4 million. Same-store sales advanced +30.6%. For its fiscal first quarter, bebe stores earned 29 cents per share, topping the consensus by more than +7%. In the year-ago quarter, the company earned 15 cents. Meanwhile, net sales rose +23.3% to $103.1 million while same-store sales rose +12.5%.

Pacific Sunwear of California, Inc. (NASDAQ:PSUN), which has met or exceeded Wall Street's quarterly earnings expectations for 11 consecutive quarters, put together another solid performance in early November, with fiscal third quarter net income of 42 cents per diluted share that topped last year's 31 cents per diluted share. The result also eclipsed the consensus by almost +8%. Total sales increased +17% to $329.1 million vs. $281.3 million last year. Same-store sales improved +6.6%. Total sales for October reached $74.9 million, up +19.6% from October 2003, as company same-store sales advanced +8.3%.

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEOS) reported fiscal third quarter net income of 77 cents per diluted share, which matched the consensus and easily surpassed last year's 25 cents. Total sales advanced +34.7% to $503.4 million, with consolidated same-store sales up +24.9%. Based on continued positive sales trends, the company raised its fiscal fourth quarter guidance to between $1.00 and $1.03 per share, compared to 49 cents in the year-ago period. The new range was more than the consensus expected.

Aeropostale, Inc. (NYSE:ARO) recently reported fiscal third quarter net income of 55 cents per diluted share on net sales of $274.6 million. The earnings results topped the consensus by almost +2% and beat last year's result by as much as +48.6%, while net sales increased +24.8%. Same-store sales moved forward +5.4%. The company is now comfortable with Wall Street's estimate for its fiscal fourth quarter, and expects sales between $335 million and $340 million for the period.

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