Latest news with #Dillards
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Dillard's Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates, Comparable Store Sales Rise 1%
Dillard's Inc. DDS posted second-quarter fiscal 2025 results, wherein the bottom line surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate while the top line came in line with it. Meanwhile, the company's sales and earnings increased year over per share (EPS) of $4.66 surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.79. The bottom line rose 1.5% from $4.59 in the year-ago quarter. Dillard's, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Dillard's, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Dillard's, Inc. Quote Net sales of $1.514 billion rose 1.6% from the prior-year quarter and came almost in line with the consensus estimate. Including service charges and other income, the company reported sales of $1.536 million, up 1.4% year over shares jumped about 3.4% on Friday, following better-than-expected earnings results for the second-quarter fiscal 2025. The positive reaction reflected investor confidence in the company's stronger-than-anticipated performance and improving sales momentum. Shares of the Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) company have gained 26.9% in the past three months compared with the industry's 23.8% rise. DDS Stock's Price Performance Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Detailed Analysis of DDS' Q2 Performance Total retail sales (excluding CDI Contractors, LLC) increased 1.5% year over year to $1.447 billion. On a 13-week comparison basis, total retail sales rose 1% year over year while comps increased 1%. Category performance was mixed, with juniors' and children's apparel, along with zladies' accessories and lingerie, delivering stronger results, while home and furniture remained the weakest-performing category. Our model had predicted comps growth of 1.3% for the fiscal second consolidated gross margin contracted 100 basis points (bps) year over year to 36.6%. The retail gross margin of 38.1% reflected a year-over-year decrease of 100 bps as the metric Gross margin increased moderately in shoes and rose slightly in ladies' accessories and lingerie, while it declined slightly in men's apparel and accessories and decreased significantly in ladies' apparel. Gross margin performance in juniors' and children's apparel, cosmetics, and home and furniture was relatively unchanged as a percent of sales. We had expected a gross margin of 36.3%, down 130 bps year over consolidated selling, general and administrative expenses (SG&A) as a percentage of sales were 28.7%, down 40 bps from the prior-year quarter. In dollar terms, SG&A expenses (operating expenses) increased 0.1% year over year to $434.2 million. The slight year-over-year increase in dollars was largely offset by leverage on higher sales, resulting in a lower expense rate. Within the quarter, savings in payroll expense were offset by increases across various other expense model had predicted SG&A expense (as a percentage of sales) to be 29.2%, up 60 bps. In dollar terms, we expected SG&A expenses to rise 3% year over year to $446.7 million. Dillard's Other Financial Details DDS ended the second-quarter fiscal 2025 with cash and cash equivalents of $1,012 million, long-term debt of $225.6 million, and a total shareholders' equity of $1.919 billion. The company provided $319.4 million of net cash from operating activities as of Aug. 2, 2025. Inventory climbed 2% year over year as of the same the second quarter of fiscal 2025, DDS repurchased 24,500 shares for $9.8 million, reflecting an average price of $398.7 per share. As of Aug. 2, 2025, it had $165.2 million remaining under its current share repurchase authorization announced in May 2023. Total shares outstanding (Class A and Class B Common Stock) at Aug. 2, 2025, and Aug. 3, 2024, were 15.6 million and 16.2 million, company still forecasts capital expenditure of $120 million for fiscal 2025, suggesting an increase from the $105 million reported in fiscal of Aug. 2, 2025, DDS operated 272 Dillard's stores, including 28 clearance stores across 30 states and an online store at What Dillard's Expects for FY25 For fiscal 2025, Dillard's continues to expect depreciation and amortization expenses of $180 million compared with $178 million recorded last fiscal. The company projects interest and debt income of $7 million compared with $14 million in fiscal 2024. It still anticipates rentals of $20 million compared with $21 million reported in fiscal 2024. Other Key Picks Some other top-ranked stocks are Levi Strauss & Co. LEVI, Wolverine World Wide, Inc. WWW and Torrid Holdings designs and markets jeans, casual wear, and related accessories for men, women and children. It flaunts a Zacks Rank #1 at present. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks Zacks Consensus Estimate for Levi's current fiscal-year earnings indicates growth of 4% from the year-ago actual. LEVI delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 25.9%.Wolverine is engaged in the designing, manufacturing and distribution of a wide variety of casual as well as active apparel and footwear. It currently sports a Zacks Rank of Zacks Consensus Estimate for Wolverine's current financial-year earnings and sales indicates growth of 43.9% and 6.2%, respectively, from the year-ago actuals. WWW delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 39.1%.Torrid Holdings currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Torrid Holdings' 2025 sales and EPS indicates a decrease of 5.6% and 6.7%, respectively, from the year-ago period's levels. CURV delivered a trailing negative four-quarter average earnings surprise of 10.5%. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Dillard's, Inc. (DDS) : Free Stock Analysis Report Wolverine World Wide, Inc. (WWW) : Free Stock Analysis Report Levi Strauss & Co. (LEVI) : Free Stock Analysis Report Torrid Holdings Inc. (CURV) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Add These 4 Top-Performing Liquid Stocks to Boost Portfolio Returns
Liquidity indicates a company's capability to meet debt obligations by converting its assets into liquid cash and equivalents. A company with adequate liquidity always has the potential to deliver higher returns, as stable financial resources can drive business growth. Investors may want to consider adding four top-ranked stocks, such as The New York Times Company NYT, Dillard's, Inc. DDS, Newmont Corporation NEM and Frontdoor, Inc. FTDR to their portfolio to boost returns. However, one should be careful about investing in a stock with a high liquidity level. High liquidity may also indicate that the company is unable to utilize its assets effectively. Besides sufficient cash in hand, an investor might also consider a company's capital deployment abilities before investing in the stock. A healthy company with favorable liquidity may prove to be a profitable pick. Hence, one may consider a company's efficiency level in addition to its liquidity while identifying prospective winners. A balanced assessment of both liquidity and efficiency can help identify truly promising investment opportunities. Measures to Identify Liquid Stocks Current Ratio: It measures current assets relative to current liabilities. The ratio gauges a company's potential to meet short- and long-term debt obligations. A current ratio — the working capital ratio — below 1 indicates that the company has more liabilities than assets. A high current ratio does not always suggest that the company is in good financial shape. It may also indicate that the firm failed to utilize its assets significantly. Hence, a range of 1-3 is considered ideal. Quick Ratio: Unlike the current ratio, the quick ratio — the 'acid-test ratio' or 'quick assets ratio' — indicates a company's ability to pay short-term obligations. It considers inventory, excluding current assets, relative to current liabilities. A quick ratio of more than 1 is desirable, like the current ratio. Cash Ratio: This is the most conservative ratio among the three, considering cash and cash equivalents and invested funds relative to current liabilities. It measures a company's ability to meet existing debt obligations using the most liquid assets. Though a cash ratio of more than 1 may suggest sound financials, a higher number may indicate inefficiency in cash utilization. A ratio greater than 1 is always desirable, but may not always represent a company's financial condition. Screening Parameters To pick the best of the lot, we have added asset utilization — a widely used measure of a company's efficiency — as one of the screening criteria. Asset utilization is the ratio of total sales in the past 12 months to the last four-quarter average of total assets. Though this ratio varies across industries, companies with a ratio higher than that of their industry can be considered efficient. We added our proprietary Growth Score to the screen to ensure these liquid and efficient stocks have solid growth potential. Current Ratio, Quick Ratio, and Cash Ratio between 1 and 3: While liquidity ratios greater than 1 are desirable, significantly high ratios may indicate inefficiency. Asset utilization is more significant than the industry average: A Higher asset utilization than the industry average indicates a company's efficiency. Zacks Rank equal to #1: Only Strong Buy-rated stocks can get through. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Growth Score less than or equal to B: Back-tested results show that stocks with a Growth Score of A or B handily beat other stocks when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2 (Buy). These criteria have narrowed the universe of more than 7,700 stocks to only 10. Here are four of the 10 stocks that qualified the screen: The New York Times Company is a diversified media company comprising newspapers, Internet businesses and other investments. It is capitalizing on its multi-platform strategy to drive digital growth, broaden audience engagement and diversify revenue streams. Expansion into lifestyle categories such as Cooking, Games and Sports, supported by bundled subscription offerings, is deepening customer relationships and boosting retention. NYT recently reported second-quarter 2025 results. The company's adjusted earnings per share were 58 cents, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 50 cents and increased from the year-ago adjusted earnings of 45 cents. Total revenues of $685.9 million came ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $669 million and increased 9.7% year over year. NYT added approximately 230,000 net digital-only subscribers in the quarter under review compared with the end of the preceding quarter, propelled by multiple products across its portfolio. NYT's digital-only average revenue per user (ARPU) increased to an impressive $9.64 in the second quarter from $9.34 in the year-ago period. This rise in ARPU can be attributed to subscribers transitioning from promotional pricing to higher rate plans and price hikes for certain tenured subscribers. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NYT's 2025 bottom line is pinned at $2.28 per share, unchanged in the past seven days. The company has a Growth Score of B and a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 12.1%, on average. Dillard's is a large departmental store chain featuring fashion apparel and home furnishings. As of Aug 14, 2025, DDS operated 272 Dillard's stores, including 28 clearance stores, across 30 states. DDS recently reported second-quarter 2025 results wherein net sales came in at $1.5 billion, up 1.6% year over year. Both total retail sales (which excludes CDI) and comparable store sales inched up 1%. The strong performing categories were juniors' and children's apparel and ladies' accessories and lingerie while home and furniture was the weakest performing category. Dillard's reported adjusted earnings per share of $4.66, which topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 23% and grew 1.5% year over year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for DDS' 2025 earnings is pegged at $30.47 per share, unchanged in the past seven days. The company has a Growth Score of A and a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 24.04%, on average. Newmont Corporation is one of the world's largest producers of gold with several active mines in Nevada, Peru, Australia and Ghana. The company is the only gold producer listed on the S&P 500 Index. It also produces copper, silver, zinc and lead. Newmont continues to invest in growth projects and remains focused on driving shareholder value. The company is pursuing several projects, including Tanami Expansion 2 in Australia, the Ahafo North expansion in Ghana and Cadia Panel Caves in Australia. Newmont also remains committed to divesting non-core businesses as it shifts its strategic focus to Tier 1 assets. In April 2025, Newmont completed the sale of its Akyem operation in Ghana and its Porcupine operation in Canada, successfully executing its divestiture program announced in February 2024. The acquisition of Newcrest is expected to generate significant synergies. Newmont's revenues for the second quarter were roughly $5.32 billion, up 20.8% from the prior-year quarter. The figure topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.58 billion. The increase in the top line was primarily due to higher year-over-year realized gold prices. Barring one-time items, adjusted earnings were $1.43 per share, up from 72 cents reported in the prior-year quarter. It topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.04 per share. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 earnings is pegged at $5.27 per share, unchanged in the past seven days. NEM has a Growth Score of B and a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 32.82%, on average. Frontdoor is the parent company of home service plan brands like American Home Shield, HSA, Landmark and OneGuard. Based in Memphis, TN, this company provides home warranties in the United States. FTDR is gaining from its focus on new and innovative ways to boost demand for services, and the relaunch of the American Home Shield brand is a significant component of this strategy. The company's continued emphasis on growing its member base, particularly in the DTC channel, has been driving growth. In the last reported quarter, revenues came in at $617 million, up 14% year over year. The uptick was driven by a 2% increase in price and 12% higher volume. The higher volume was driven by the 2-10 acquisition. Real estate revenues increased 21%. Further, the number of first-year Direct-to-Consumer home warranties was 2.09 million, up 7% year over year. Gross margin expanded 130 basis points to 58%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 earnings is pegged at $3.90 per share, up 9 cents in the past seven days. FTDR has a Growth Score of A and a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 66.4%, on the remaining stocks on the list and start putting this and other ideas to the test. It can all be done with the Research Wizard stock picking and back testing Research Wizard is a great place to begin and is easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out. Click here to sign up for a free trial of the Research Wizard today. Disclosure: Officers, directors and employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options mentioned in this material. Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks' portfolios and strategies is available at: Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Dillard's, Inc. (DDS) : Free Stock Analysis Report The New York Times Company (NYT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Newmont Corporation (NEM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Frontdoor Inc. (FTDR) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research
Globe and Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Dillard's Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates, Comparable Store Sales Rise 1%
Dillard's Inc. DDS posted second-quarter fiscal 2025 results, wherein the bottom line surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate while the top line came in line with it. Meanwhile, the company's sales and earnings increased year over year. Earnings per share (EPS) of $4.66 surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.79. The bottom line rose 1.5% from $4.59 in the year-ago quarter. Net sales of $1.514 billion rose 1.6% from the prior-year quarter and came almost in line with the consensus estimate. Including service charges and other income, the company reported sales of $1.536 million, up 1.4% year over year. Dillard's shares jumped about 3.4% on Friday, following better-than-expected earnings results for the second-quarter fiscal 2025. The positive reaction reflected investor confidence in the company's stronger-than-anticipated performance and improving sales momentum. Shares of the Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) company have gained 26.9% in the past three months compared with the industry 's 23.8% rise. DDS Stock's Price Performance Detailed Analysis of DDS' Q2 Performance Total retail sales (excluding CDI Contractors, LLC) increased 1.5% year over year to $1.447 billion. On a 13-week comparison basis, total retail sales rose 1% year over year while comps increased 1%. Category performance was mixed, with juniors' and children's apparel, along with zladies' accessories and lingerie, delivering stronger results, while home and furniture remained the weakest-performing category. Our model had predicted comps growth of 1.3% for the fiscal second quarter. The consolidated gross margin contracted 100 basis points (bps) year over year to 36.6%. The retail gross margin of 38.1% reflected a year-over-year decrease of 100 bps as the metric Gross margin increased moderately in shoes and rose slightly in ladies' accessories and lingerie, while it declined slightly in men's apparel and accessories and decreased significantly in ladies' apparel. Gross margin performance in juniors' and children's apparel, cosmetics, and home and furniture was relatively unchanged as a percent of sales. We had expected a gross margin of 36.3%, down 130 bps year over year. Dillard's consolidated selling, general and administrative expenses (SG&A) as a percentage of sales were 28.7%, down 40 bps from the prior-year quarter. In dollar terms, SG&A expenses (operating expenses) increased 0.1% year over year to $434.2 million. The slight year-over-year increase in dollars was largely offset by leverage on higher sales, resulting in a lower expense rate. Within the quarter, savings in payroll expense were offset by increases across various other expense categories. Our model had predicted SG&A expense (as a percentage of sales) to be 29.2%, up 60 bps. In dollar terms, we expected SG&A expenses to rise 3% year over year to $446.7 million. Dillard's Other Financial Details DDS ended the second-quarter fiscal 2025 with cash and cash equivalents of $1,012 million, long-term debt of $225.6 million, and a total shareholders' equity of $1.919 billion. The company provided $319.4 million of net cash from operating activities as of Aug. 2, 2025. Inventory climbed 2% year over year as of the same date. In the second quarter of fiscal 2025, DDS repurchased 24,500 shares for $9.8 million, reflecting an average price of $398.7 per share. As of Aug. 2, 2025, it had $165.2 million remaining under its current share repurchase authorization announced in May 2023. Total shares outstanding (Class A and Class B Common Stock) at Aug. 2, 2025, and Aug. 3, 2024, were 15.6 million and 16.2 million, respectively. The company still forecasts capital expenditure of $120 million for fiscal 2025, suggesting an increase from the $105 million reported in fiscal 2024. As of Aug. 2, 2025, DDS operated 272 Dillard's stores, including 28 clearance stores across 30 states and an online store at What Dillard's Expects for FY25 For fiscal 2025, Dillard's continues to expect depreciation and amortization expenses of $180 million compared with $178 million recorded last fiscal. The company projects interest and debt income of $7 million compared with $14 million in fiscal 2024. It still anticipates rentals of $20 million compared with $21 million reported in fiscal 2024. Other Key Picks Some other top-ranked stocks are Levi Strauss & Co. LEVI, Wolverine World Wide, Inc. WWW and Torrid Holdings CURV. Levi designs and markets jeans, casual wear, and related accessories for men, women and children. It flaunts a Zacks Rank #1 at present. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Levi's current fiscal-year earnings indicates growth of 4% from the year-ago actual. LEVI delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 25.9%. Wolverine is engaged in the designing, manufacturing and distribution of a wide variety of casual as well as active apparel and footwear. It currently sports a Zacks Rank of 1. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Wolverine's current financial-year earnings and sales indicates growth of 43.9% and 6.2%, respectively, from the year-ago actuals. WWW delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 39.1%. Torrid Holdings currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Torrid Holdings' 2025 sales and EPS indicates a decrease of 5.6% and 6.7%, respectively, from the year-ago period's levels. CURV delivered a trailing negative four-quarter average earnings surprise of 10.5%. Free Report: Profiting from the 2nd Wave of AI Explosion The next phase of the AI explosion is poised to create significant wealth for investors, especially those who get in early. It will add literally trillion of dollars to the economy and revolutionize nearly every part of our lives. Investors who bought shares like Nvidia at the right time have had a shot at huge gains. But the rocket ride in the "first wave" of AI stocks may soon come to an end. The sharp upward trajectory of these stocks will begin to level off, leaving exponential growth to a new wave of cutting-edge companies. Zacks' AI Boom 2.0: The Second Wave report reveals 4 under-the-radar companies that may soon be shining stars of AI's next leap forward. Access AI Boom 2.0 now, absolutely free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Dillard's, Inc. (DDS): Free Stock Analysis Report Wolverine World Wide, Inc. (WWW): Free Stock Analysis Report Levi Strauss & Co. (LEVI): Free Stock Analysis Report Torrid Holdings Inc. (CURV): Free Stock Analysis Report
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Buy Dillard's (DDS) Stock After Crushing Q2 EPS Expectations?
Reporting favorable Q2 results on Thursday, Dillard's DDS has remained a standout among regional department store that point, Dillard's was able to crush Q2 EPS expectations thanks to its operational efficiency, modest sales growth, and shareholder-friendly capital allocation. Furthermore, Dillard's emphasis on exclusive merchandise and private label brands in regard to fashion apparel and home furnishings has helped differentiate the large department store chain from its competitors, such as Macy's M and Kohl's KSS. Considering such, let's see if now is an ideal time to buy Dillard's stock, with DDS up a respectable +18% year to date to over $500 a share, and now sitting on gains of more than +40% over the last year. Dillard's Strong Q2 Results Reporting Q2 sales of $1.51 billion, Dillard's top line increased 2% from the prior year quarter and slightly edged estimates by 0.19%. This comes as Dillard's saw improved sales trends in July, particularly for adolescent apparel, ladies' accessories, and lingerie. Dillard's also maintained a strong digital presence and loyalty initiatives. Most impressive, Dillard's reported Q2 earnings of $4.66 per share, which crushed EPS expectations of $3.79 by nearly 23% and was up 1% from a year ago in what was a tough to compete against operating period. Notably, Dillard's received a $4.8 million pre-tax gain from the sale of three properties, which contributed $0.24 to its quarterly EPS and also boosted its per-share earnings by reducing its share count through stock buybacks. More intriguing, Dillard's has now exceeded the Zacks EPS Consensus in each of its last four quarterly reports with a very impressive average earnings surprise of 24.04%. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Dillard's Attractive Valuation While Dillard's doesn't provide formal guidance, the company's valuation is hard to overlook, even with its robust earnings expected to contract after hitting record peaks in recent years during the post-pandemic retail rebound. Trading at 16.3X forward earnings, DDS still trades at a noticeable discount to the benchmark S&P 500. It's also noteworthy that DDS is well below Kohl's 39X forward earnings multiple, and is enticingly closer to Macy's 7.1X, although Dillard's robust bottom line largely suggests it should trade at a significant premium to these peers. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research As a leader in the retail-regional department store space, Dillard's stock is also attractively beneath the optimum level of less than 2X sales, at 1.2X. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research DDS EPS Revisions Making Dillard's attractive valuation more enticing is that earnings estimate revisions for fiscal 2025 and FY26 are nicely up in the last 30 days. Over the last month, FY25 EPS estimates are up 2% from projections of $29.84 to $30.47. Plus, FY26 EPS estimates have spiked 9% from projections of $25.25 to $27.50. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Bottom Line Following its favorable Q2 report, Dillard's stock currently boasts a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). Considering the impressive Q2 earnings beat, EPS revisions may continue to rise for Dillard's in the coming weeks, and in addition to its strong buy rating, DDS checks an overall 'A' VGM Zacks Style Scores grade for the combination of Value, Growth, and Momentum. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Dillard's, Inc. (DDS) : Free Stock Analysis Report Macy's, Inc. (M) : Free Stock Analysis Report Kohl's Corporation (KSS) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Dillard's notches surprise Q2 sales gain, profits dip
This story was originally published on Retail Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Retail Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Dillard's eked out a sales bump in Q2, reporting Thursday that total retail sales (excluding its construction business) rose 1% year over year to $1.4 billion; store comps also rose 1%. Retail gross margin dropped to 38.1% from 39.1% a year ago, with women's apparel declining 'significantly.' Inventory was up 2% compared to a year ago. Net income, which does factor in the company's construction unit, declined 2.3% to $72.8 million. Dive Insight: Dillard's Q2 results beat analyst estimates and may give department store peers some hope. 'We were happy to achieve a sales increase for the first time in a while and encouraged by strengthening sales trends in July,' CEO William Dillard said in a statement. 'In an operating environment that changes daily, we focused on controlling inventory, ending up 2% compared to 6% at the end of [the] first quarter.' That environment includes consumers wary of tariffs' impact on prices, a situation that has hit department stores and apparel sales (their dominant merchandise) especially hard. Off-price retailers have mostly benefited, though tariffs have emerged as more of a problem for them than previously thought. Dillard's said in its press release Thursday that Q2 gross margin, along with the steep decline in women's apparel, rose moderately in shoes and slightly in ladies' accessories and lingerie; fell slightly in men's apparel and accessories; and was relatively flat in juniors' and children's apparel, cosmetics and home and furniture. The retailer's performance in the quarter could be a harbinger for department stores more generally, or a reflection of what many analysts see as standout fundamentals in the space, including strong merchandising, a regional store footprint and founding-family control. 'The company continues to buck the trend for department stores,' Zachary Warring, equity analyst at CFRA Research, said in emailed comments. Still, Dillard's isn't immune to the challenges faced by its peers. From May to June, visits to its website fell in the mid-teens year over year, physical store sales fell 1.6%, and promotions are up, according to research earlier this month from UBS analysts led by Mauricio Serna. The company doesn't hold a conference call with analysts and doesn't usually provide guidance. Sign in to access your portfolio
