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| JC Penney profit drops 50 percent - 15, May 2008 |
By Nicole MaestriNEW YORK (Reuters) - J.C. Penney Co Inc (JCP.N) reported a 50 percent drop in first-quarter profit on Thursday as weak consumer demand forced the mid-tier department store operator to cut prices to clear unsold merchandise.But the profit decline was less than Wall Street expected, and while Penney said more price cuts will pressure margins in the current quarter, it forecast second-quarter earnings that could surpass current analyst targets."J.C. Penney's first-quarter results and second-quarter forecast were better than consensus and generally in-line with our expectations ...," wrote Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Uta Werner in a note. "In this environment, we expect that this will be viewed as a positive for the stock."Shares rose 1.5 percent in early New York Stock Exchange trading.Penney's net income was $120 million, or 54 cents per share, for its fiscal first quarter ended May 3, down from $238 million, or $1.04 per share, a year earlier.Analysts, on average, were expecting it to earn 50 cents per share, according to Reuters Estimates.Penney's middle-income consumers have been hit hard by the weakened U.S. economy. More of their paychecks are going toward paying for necessities like food and fuel at the same time as their home values are declining and their access to credit has diminished.Worried about their financial situation, Penney's shoppers have reined in discretionary spending and cut down on trips to the mall, prompting Penney in March to slash its first-quarter earnings forecast to approximately 50 cents per share, down from a previous view of 75 to 80 cents per share.
(c) 2008 Reuters
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