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Dillard's (DDS) to Report Q1 Earnings: What's on the Cards?

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Dillard’s, Inc. (DDS - Free Report) is expected to register year-over-year top and bottom-line declines when it reports first-quarter fiscal 2024 numbers.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal first-quarter revenues of $1.5 billion indicates a 3.4% decline from the year-ago reported figure. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal first-quarter earnings is pegged at $9.25 per share, indicating a 21.4% decrease from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure. The consensus estimate has been unchanged in the past 30 days.

In the last reported quarter, the company registered an earnings surprise of 18.1%. We note that in the trailing four quarters, its bottom line beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 42.8%, on average.

Dillard's, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise

 

Dillard's, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise

Dillard's, Inc. price-eps-surprise | Dillard's, Inc. Quote

Key Factors to Note

Dillard's strategic focus on inventory management, store and e-commerce development, and offering trendy merchandise has positioned it strongly in the competitive retail landscape. The company has been benefiting from better inventory management initiatives and strong consumer demand. It exited the fiscal first quarter with lower inventory levels year over year. This trend is expected to have continued in the to-be-reported quarter.

The company’s efforts to capture growth opportunities in brick-and-mortar stores and the e-commerce business have been the key drivers. It has been focusing on enhancing brand relationships, remodeling stores and optimizing its activewear segment. Gains from these initiatives are likely to get reflected in its fiscal first-quarter results.

On the store front, DDS has been gaining from initiatives to enhance brand relations, focus on in-trend categories, store remodels and increased rewards to store personnel. Its activewear brands are expected to have gained market share in the quarter under review.

Also, the e-commerce business has been well-placed on the enhancement of merchandise assortments and effective inventory management. We expect the company’s fiscal first-quarter performance to have gained from its focus on increasing productivity at existing stores, improving the omni-channel platform and enhancing domestic operations.

However, Dillard’s has been witnessing continued cautiousness of consumers, particularly in juniors’ and children’s apparel. This, along with higher payroll and payroll-related expenses, is likely to have dented the fiscal first-quarter performance.

Our model predicts a comps decline of 3.7% for the fiscal first quarter due to a tough retail environment in the quarter.

We anticipate the operating margin to decline 430 basis points (bps) for the fiscal first quarter. We expect SG&A expenses to increase 3.1% year over year in the first quarter of fiscal 2024.

What the Zacks Model Suggests

Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Dillard’s this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. But that is not the case here. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Dillard’s currently has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% and a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

Stocks Poised to Beat Earnings Estimates

Here are some companies that you may want to consider, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat.

Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +3.70% and a Zacks Rank #2. ANF is likely to register top and bottom-line growth when it reports first-quarter fiscal 2024. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its quarterly revenues is pegged at $930.4 million, suggesting 11.3% growth from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Abercrombie’s fiscal first-quarter earnings is pegged at $1.53, suggesting 292.3% growth from the year-ago quarter. The consensus mark has moved up 2% in the past seven days.

The TJX Companies (TJX - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +2.50% and a Zacks Rank #2. TJX is likely to register top and bottom-line growth when it reports first-quarter fiscal 2024. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its quarterly revenues is pegged at $12.5 billion, suggesting a 5.8% rise from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for TJX’s fiscal first-quarter earnings is pegged at 87 cents, suggesting year-over-year growth of 14.5%. The consensus mark has been unchanged in the past 30 days.

Ross Stores (ROST - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +1.63% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is likely to register top and bottom-line growth when it reports first-quarter fiscal 2024. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its quarterly revenues is pegged at $4.8 million, suggesting 7.3% growth from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Ross Stores’ fiscal first-quarter earnings is pegged at $1.34, suggesting 22.9% growth from that reported in the year-ago quarter. The consensus mark has been unchanged in the past 30 days.

Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.


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