Diamonds and Dogs




5/30/13
Big Lots Inc. (BIG)Big Lots is not doing well today, down 8.99% at $34.93. The closeout retail company saw its shares plummet on worse than expected outlook. In the current quarter, Big Lots sees adjusted EPS in the range of $0.17 to $0.27, which would be down from $0.36 in the same period last year and would also miss analysts' current forecast of $0.43. Furthermore, for the full year Big Lots management is anticipating an EPS of $2.87 to $3.12, which again is below Wall Street's estimate of $3.16 per share. The lower than expected quarter and full year earnings spooked many investors out of the company, however shares are still trading in the middle of their 52-week range of $26.69-$42.26.
Express Inc. (EXPR)
Express is making its investors express happiness today, with shares up 12.88% at $21.21. The apparel and accessory company saw its shares skyrocket after the company released its first quarter results. For the quarter ending May 4th, Express earned $32.4 million, or $0.38 per share on revenue of $508.5 million. Analysts expected earnings of $0.36 per share on revenue of $498 million. The better than expected quarter led management to increase their full year forecast. For the year, Express now predicts earnings in a range of $1.48 to $1.58 per share, up from $1.40 to $1.54 per share. The company's shares set a new 52-week high of $21.23, intraday.