Nordstrom shares jump 10% as earnings top estimates, but retailer issues cautious guidance

Nordstrom handily beat Wall Street’s earnings estimates as its efforts to cut costs and boost efficienies begin to bear fruit. Despite the strong earnings beat, the company issued tepid guidance for the full year as it contends with softening demand for luxury goods. The department store operator has been leaning on its off-price banner Nordstrom Rack for growth. Nordstrom on Tuesday posted earnings that blew past Wall Street’s expectations, indicating the department store is making strides in its efforts to cut costs and boost efficiencies. Though the Seattle-based retailer posted earnings per share that were 25 cents higher than expected, it issued tepid guidance for the full year. Nordstrom now expects adjusted earnings per share to be between $1.75 and $2.05, compared to a previous range of $1.65 to $2.05. It anticipates sales will be in a range of a 1% decline to 1% growth from the prior year, compared to previous guidance of down 2% to up 1%. Shares rose more than 10% in extended trading. Here’s how the department store did in its second fiscal quarter compared with what Wall Street was anticipating, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG: Earnings per share: 96 cents adjusted vs. 71 cents expected Revenue: $3.89 billion vs. $3.90 billion expectedThe company’s reported net income for the three-month period that ended August 3 was $122 million, or 72 cents per share, compared with $137 million, or 84 cents per share, a year earlier. Excluding one-time items related to supply chain impairments, the retailer posted adjusted earnings of 96 cents per share. Sales rose to $3.89 billion, up about 3.4% from $3.77 billion a year earlier. Revenue came in just shy of analysts’ expectations. As consumers continue to pull back on discretionary spending in the face of persistent inflation and high interest rates, retailers have been working to improve operations and cut costs to protect profits against softening demand. During the quarter, Nordstrom’s profits fell compared to the same period a year ago, but earnings grew over the last six months. Last year, Nordstrom reported a net loss of $67 million in the six months ended July 29, 2023, but in the same period this year, it posted a profit of $83 million. Nordstrom has said it is working to improve its supply chain. Last quarter, it said that the time it takes for online orders to arrive was over 5% faster. It’s also improved the way merchandise is making its way to customers and stores, which it said has helped drive higher conversion and lower return rates. Another key focus area for the company has been growing its off-price banner, Nordstrom Rack. Over the last couple of quarters, momentum has been growing at Nordstrom Rack and has helped prop up the company’s overall results. During the quarter, sales at Nordstrom Rack were up 8.8%, while comparable sales increased 4.1% compared to the same period a year ago.That compares to Nordstrom’s mainline banner, which saw net sales and comparable sales each increase by just 0.9%. Nordstrom has been working to build more Rack locations and has opened 11 new locations so far this fiscal year, with a goal of opening at least 22 by the end of the year.