NEW YORK (Thomson Financial) - Shares of Sears Holdings Corp. turned higher
in premarket trading Thursday, erasing earlier losses, after the department
store chain reported first-quarter results and an additional stock buyback
program, and amid early gains in other discount retailers.
The stock was last up 1.4% at $90.60 ahead of the open. Earlier in the
premarket, at 7:30 a.m. ET, the stock traded down 4.9% at $85.
Sears had reported a fiscal first-quarter adjusted loss of 53 cents a share,
compared with the mean estimate of analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial for
earnings of 15 cents a share. Revenue for the quarter fell to $11.1 billion from
$11.7 billion a year ago, also missing analyst forecasts of $11.41 billion.
The company also said it approved the buyback of up to an additional $500
million shares of its common stock.
Elsewhere, shares of closeout retailer Big Lots Inc. rallied 6.9% to $30.50
ahead of Thursday's open, the highest price seen during regular trading hours
since Oct. 8, after the company reported fiscal first-quarter earnings and
revenue that topped expectations and raised its full-year earnings outlook.
Shares of Costco Wholesale tacked on 0.6% to $73.70 in the premarket after
the membership-based warehouse retailer reported fiscal third-quarter earnings
that exceeded analyst forecasts, and Fred's Inc. gained 2.5% to $11.75 as fiscal
first-quarter earnings topped expectations.
Among other discount retailers seeing early activity, Dow industrials
component Wal-Mart Stores edged up 3 cents to $57.12
Tomi Kilgore
tk1
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