Top 5 Logistics Companies To Watch For 2015

Top 5 Logistics Companies To Watch For 2015: ANN Inc (ANN)

ANN INC., incorporated in 1988, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, is a specialty retailer of women's apparel, shoes and accessories sold primarily under the Ann Taylor and LOFT brands. The Company's Ann Taylor and LOFT brands offers a range of career and casual separates, dresses, tops, weekend wear, shoes and accessories. It offers updated past season sellers from the Ann Taylor and LOFT merchandise collections at its Ann Taylor Factory and LOFT Outlet stores, respectively, and the clients can also shop online at www.anntaylor.com and www.LOFT.com (together, Online Stores), or by phone at 1-800-DIAL-ANN and 1-888-LOFT-444. As of January 28, 2012, it operated 953 retail stores in 46 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, consisted of 280 Ann Taylor stores, 500 LOFT stores, 99 Ann Taylor Factory stores and 74 LOFT Outlet stores.

Substantially all of the Company's merchandise is developed by its in-house product design and development teams , who design merchandise exclusively for the Company. A small percentage of its merchandise is purchased through branded vendors, which is selected to complement its in-house assortment. The Company sourced merchandise from approximately 138 manufacturers and vendors in 19 countries. Approximately 42% of its merchandise unit purchases originated in China, 13% in the Philippines, 14% in Indonesia, 14% in India, and 13% in Vietnam. The Company's wholly owned subsidiary, AnnTaylor Distribution Services, Inc., owns its 256,000-square-foot distribution center located in Louisville, Kentucky. The distribution center is located on approximately 27 acres. Its merchandise is distributed to stores, including the Online Stores, through this facility.

An average Ann Taylor store is approximately 5,500 square feet in size. The Company operates two Ann Taylor flagship stor! es, one located in New York City and one located in Chicago. LOFT stores average approximately 5,800 sq uare feet. The Company also operates one LOFT flagship store! on the ground floor of 7 Times Square, its corporate headquarters, in New York City. During the fiscal year ended January 28, 2012 (fiscal 2011), it opened 14 LOFT stores that averaged approximately 5,500 square feet. Ann Taylor Factory stores average approximately 7,100 square feet. LOFT Outlet stores average approximately 7,000 square feet. During fiscal 2011, its LOFT Outlet stores were 38 new stores that averaged approximately 7,600 square feet.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Vera Yuan]

  During the quarter, the Fund initiated positions in eight companies and strategically added to positions in sixteen companies. Over the same time period, the Fund eliminated its holdings in six companies and strategically decreased its holdings in another five companies. Positions initiated during the last three months include: Dorman Products, Inc. (DORM), Dover Corp. (DOV), DSW Inc. (DSW), First Niagara Financial Group (FNFG), Packaging Corporation of America (PKG), Patterson Companies, Inc. (PDCO), The Travelers Companies Inc. (TRV), and Universal Health Services Inc (UHS). Positions eliminated during the past quarter include: ABB Ltd. (ABB), Ann Inc. (ANN), Baxter International (BAX), International Game Technology (IGT), TRW Automotive Holdings (TRW), and URS Corporation (URS).

• [By Jayson Derrick]

  This morning, Ann (NYSE: ANN) reported its second quarter results. The company announced an EPS of $0.70, beating the consensus estimate of $0.69. Revenue of $648.70 million missed the consensus estimate of $664.54 million. Net income for the quarter fell to $32.7 million from $35.6 million in the same quarter a year ago as comparable-store sales fell 2.3 percent. The company noted that the quarter began on a positive note with solid momentum through mid-June, but softer traffic levels and a highly promot! ional env! ironment ultimately had an impact on its bottom line. The company saw its gross margin rate decline 230 basis points to 52.4 percent, while its SG&A expense ratio fell 140 basis points to 43.9 percent. Ann issued guidance and sees its third quarter revenue to be $670 million. For the full fiscal year 2014 the company expects total sales to be $2.560 billion. Shares lost 3.32 percent, closing at $37.52.

• [By Ali Berri]

  ANN (NYSE: ANN) shares tumbled 3.41 percent to $37.49 after the company reported upbeat profit for its fiscal second quarter and lowered its FY15 revenue outlook.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-logistics-companies-to-watch-for-2015.html