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Zara Owner Inditex Reports Slowing Quarterly Sales Growth

The Zara clothing store logo is seen at the entrance of a store in Brussels, Belgium November 28, 2022. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
The Zara clothing store logo is seen at the entrance of a store in Brussels, Belgium November 28, 2022. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
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Zara Owner Inditex Reports Slowing Quarterly Sales Growth

The Zara clothing store logo is seen at the entrance of a store in Brussels, Belgium November 28, 2022. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
The Zara clothing store logo is seen at the entrance of a store in Brussels, Belgium November 28, 2022. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo

Zara owner Inditex grew its sales by 7% in the first quarter of its fiscal year, it said on Wednesday, in line with analysts' expectations.
The performance represented a slowdown from a year ago when it benefited from a post-pandemic shopping spree, Reuters reported.
Inditex, which also owns Pull&Bear, Massimo Dutti and other brands, is attempting to fend off intense competition from rivals such as H&M by chasing and delivering fashion trends faster.
The company has outperformed competitors in recent quarters benefiting from investments in
new in-store and online experiences. It is also facing stiff competition from rapidly growing Chinese-owned online retailers Shein and Temu.
The world's largest listed fashion retailer reported 8.15 billion euros ($8.87 billion) in sales during the three months to April. That compared to an average analyst forecast of 8.1 billion euros, according to an LSEG poll.
Net profit rose 11% to 1.29 billion euros ($1.40 billion) in the three months to April, in line with the 1.3 billion euro average forecast by analysts, according to the LSEG poll. In the first quarter of last year, the company reported a 54% rise in profits.
Sales at constant currencies rose 12% from May 1 to June 3, Inditex said.

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Abercrombie & Fitch Lifts Sales Forecast on Trendy Apparel Demand; Lofty Expectations Hit Shares

A hiring sign is displayed in front of Abercrombie & Fitch at the Tysons Corner Center mall on August 22, 2024 in Tysons, Virginia. (Getty Images via AFP)
A hiring sign is displayed in front of Abercrombie & Fitch at the Tysons Corner Center mall on August 22, 2024 in Tysons, Virginia. (Getty Images via AFP)
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Abercrombie & Fitch Lifts Sales Forecast on Trendy Apparel Demand; Lofty Expectations Hit Shares

A hiring sign is displayed in front of Abercrombie & Fitch at the Tysons Corner Center mall on August 22, 2024 in Tysons, Virginia. (Getty Images via AFP)
A hiring sign is displayed in front of Abercrombie & Fitch at the Tysons Corner Center mall on August 22, 2024 in Tysons, Virginia. (Getty Images via AFP)

Abercrombie & Fitch raised its annual sales target on Wednesday after reporting better-than-expected quarterly revenue, but shares of the company fell 14% as investors expected a bigger forecast bump from the high-flying retailer.

The stock has surged about 89% so far this year after nearly quadrupling in 2023.

"While the market may have been looking for a stronger guidance lift for the year, given momentum across the business, we see a beat and raise as impressive given a moderating top line outlook in response to a choppy macro environment across many of Abercrombie's specialty retail peers," said Dana Telsey, analyst at Telsey Advisory Group.

Abercrombie has been revamping its merchandise with new styles, featuring dressier apparel and cargo pants while tapping into growing demand for wide-legged jeans, helping it draw in fashion-savvy shoppers.

Retailers ranging from department store chains Macy's to home improvement chain Home Depot struck a cautious note and trimmed their annual sales forecasts, blaming weak discretionary demand. Strong results from Target and Walmart showed shoppers were looking for bargains amid budget constraints.

Sales at the Abercrombie brand jumped 26% in the quarter ended Aug. 3, while its Hollister division reported a 17% rise due to better-than-expected back-to-school selling.

The company now expects net sales to rise between 12% and 13% in fiscal 2024, compared with its prior forecast of around 10% growth.

Abercrombie CEO Fran Horowitz said the forecast raise came despite "an increasingly uncertain environment".

The company saw benefits from lower promotions and lower cotton costs, which helped it improve its gross profit rate by 240 basis points to 64.9%. However, it expects pressure from freight costs in the back half of the year.

In the second quarter, it reported profit of $2.50 per share, beating an estimate of $2.22, according to LSEG data.

Net sales rose 21% to $1.13 billion in the second quarter, compared with analysts' estimate of $1.10 billion.