NEW YORK (AP) — Limited Brands Inc. said Thursday that a key revenue metric rose 2 percent in April, hurt by the shift of some spring-break business into March due to an early Easter.
But the operator of Victoria’s Secret, Pink, and Bath and Body Works raised its guidance in the first quarter.
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Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters had expected an increase of 4.6 percent at stores open at least a year for the four weeks ended May 4 compared with its performance a year earlier.
That measurement is closely watched as an indicator of retail health because it excludes the potentially distorting impact of sales at stores opened or closed in the past year. The period covered included the Easter holiday this year.
Revenue in stores open at least one year rose 2 percent at Victoria’s Secret, 4 percent at Bath & Body Works and 2 percent at La Senza.
The Columbus, Ohio-based retailer said its overall sales during the same period were nearly flat at $660.5 million.
For the quarter ended May 4, revenue in stores open at least one year rose 3 percent while total revenue rose 5 percent to $2.27 billion. Analysts expected $2.25 billion, according to FactSet.
The company now expects first-quarter net income of 46 cents per share, a penny higher than previous guidance of 40 cents to 45 cents per share. That matches analyst expectations of 46 cents per share.
Its shares fell 96 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $52.25 in premarket trading an hour before the market opens.
