G-III Apparel Upgraded to Strong Buy

On January 9, 2013, Zacks Investment Research upgraded G-III Apparel Group, Ltd. ( GIII - Snapshot Report ) to a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). The company has amassed a solid return of roughly 50% over the past year.

Why the Upgrade?

G-III Apparel has been witnessing rising earnings estimates on the back of robust third-quarter fiscal 2013 results and an upbeat guidance for fiscal 2013. Moreover, this apparel manufacturer and distributor outperformed the Zacks Consensus Estimates in 3 of the last 5 quarters with an average beat of 15.6%.

G-III Apparel declared impressive third-quarter fiscal 2013 results on December 5, wherein earnings of $2.43 per share surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.31 by 5.2% and increased 12.5% from $2.16 earned in the prior-year quarter buoyed by top-line growth. Net sales rose 6.6% year over year to $543.5 million, but fell short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $573 million.

The solid demand for its brands and assortments, new business opportunities and increased penetration provide upside potential. Management also expects to reinvigorate growth through acquisitions, the latest in this league being the acquisition of the leading luxury resort brand – Vilebrequin.

Based on its strong fundamentals, management now projects fiscal 2013 earnings between $2.82 and $2.92 per share, up from the previous forecast of $2.74 to $2.84.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2013 rose 3.5% to $2.93 per share over the last 60 days, and remains a penny above the upper end of the company’s guidance range. For fiscal 2014, the Zacks Consensus Estimate advanced 3.1% over the same timeframe to $3.32 per share.

Other Stocks to Consider

Other stocks in the textile-apparel sector that you could consider are Gildan Activewear Inc. ( GIL - Snapshot Report ) , Joe's Jeans Inc. ( JOEZ - Snapshot Report ) and Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. ( KORS - Snapshot Report ) , which hold a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).