Citi Trends, Inc.

Company Description

Citi Trends offers apparel and accessories for the whole family and looks to deliver a good value to its customers. The company's 365 stores are scattered from Texas to the Mid-Atlantic, with the headquarters in Savannah, Georgia.

Sales Up 18%

The retailer reported an 18% year-over-year increase in sales when it announced first-quarter results on May 20. Total sales for the quarter were $143 million, up from $121 million. Comparable stores rose 7.4%, driving net income higher, along with the 8 new stores.

Net income was up 52% to $7.9 million, up from $5.2 million. This translated to $0.54 per share, up from $0.36 in the same period last year.

Seventh Consecutive Surprise

Analysts were expecting just 44 cents per share, making the first quarter the company's seventh surprise in a row. You would have to go back almost 3 years to find that last time Citi missed estimates.

Upward Revisions

Following the announcement 2 of the 4 analysts covering Citi upwardly revised their full-year estimates. The current consensus for 2009 is now $1.35, up from $1.29 before the announcement and from $0.92 over the past three months. Full-year 2010 estimates are averaging $1.65, up from $1.37 prior to the report and up from $1.12 three months ago.

In a struggling retail environment these growth rates of 10% and 22%, for this year and next, are fantastic. In the previously mentioned announcement, management also reported that it is seeking to increase selling square footage by at least 15%.

The Chart

Shares of CTRN have an excellent level of support at $22 per share as the stock continues to set higher highs. The most recent peak is the new 52-week high. Take a look at the chart below.