(By Balaseshan) Guess? Inc. (NYSE: GES) reported a 44.7% drop in quarterly earnings, missing Street's expectations, due to lower store traffic as well as economic conditions. Further, the company lowered fiscal 2013 earnings outlook.
Earnings for the third quarter were $36.65 million or $0.43 per share, down from $66.3 million or $0.71 per share last year. Revenue declined 2.2% to $628.83 million. In constant dollars, revenue increased 1.2%.
Analysts, on average, polled by Thomson Reuters had expected a profit of $0.44 per share on revenue of $624.54 million for the third quarter.
Retail stores revenue in North America decreased 1.3% to $262.1 million. Comparable store sales decreased 6.0%. The company directly operated 513 retail stores in the United States and Canada at the end of the third quarter, up from 495 stores a year earlier.
Revenue from Europe segment fell 8.3% to $202.6 million, while revenue from Asia segment climbed 15.5% to $74.8 million. Revenue from North American Wholesale segment rose 1.0% to $57.9 million, while licensing revenue declined 7.6% to $31.5 million.
The company said product margins were lower, primarily driven by promotions in North America and the effect of pricing parity changes in Canada.
Operating margin declined 590 basis points, primarily due to the impact of higher occupancy and selling costs in Europe.
The company also said its board of directors has approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per share on its common stock. The dividend will be payable on December 28 to shareholders of record at the close of business on December 12.
Looking ahead into the fourth quarter, the company expects earnings of $0.85 to $0.95 per share and revenue of $780 million to $800 million, while Street predicts $0.95 per share on revenue of $789.17 million.
For the fiscal 2013, the company lowered earnings guidance to range of $2.05 to $2.15 per share from previous forecast of $2.15 to $2.30 per share. GES narrowed its revenue outlook to range of $2.62 billion to $2.64 billion from previous estimate of $2.62 billion to $2.65 billion. Street analysts predict profit of $2.16 per share on revenue of $2.63 billion.
GES closed Wednesday's regular trading up 5.38% at $25.25. The stock has been trading between $22.48 and $37.15 for the past 52 weeks.