On Feb. 22, Dollar Tree (NASDAQ:DLTR) released Q4 2005 earnings for the period ending Jan. 28, 2006.

  • Sales increased 9%.
  • 9% diluted EPS growth benefited from 6% fewer shares.
  • Margins continued to fall on higher operating expenses.

(Figures in millions, except per-share data)

Income Statement Highlights

Avg. Est.

Q4 2005

Q4 2004

% Change

Sales

$1,070

$1,079

$987

+9.3%

Net Profit

--

$86

$84

+3.4%

EPS

$0.81

$0.81

$0.74

+9.5%



Get back to basics with a look at the income statement.

Margin Checkup

Q4 2005

Q4 2004

Change

Gross Margin

35.25%

35.52%

(0.27%)

Op. Margin

12.65%

13.39%

(0.74%)

Net Margin

8.02%

8.47%

(0.46%)



Margins are the earnings engine. See how they work.

Balance Sheet Highlights

Assets

Q4 2005

Q4 2004

% Change

Cash + ST Invest.

$340

$318

+6.9%

Inventory

$577

$615

(6.3%)

Accounts Rec.

No Data

No Data

No Data

Liabilities

Q4 2005

Q4 2004

% Change

Long-Term Debt

$250

$250

0.0%

Accounts Pay.

$136

$124

+9.1%



Inventories at work.

Cash Flow Highlights*

FY 2005

FY 2004

% Change

Cash From Ops

$377

$276

+36.3%

Capital Expend.

$139

$182

(23.4%)

Free Cash Flow

$238

$95

+150.8%

*Cash flow results are for all of fiscal 2005.

Related Companies:

  • 99 Cents Only (NYSE:NDN)
  • Dollar General (NYSE:DG)
  • Family Dollar (NYSE:FDO)
  • Target (NYSE:TGT)
  • Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT)

Related Foolishness:

Dollar Tree is a Motley Fool Inside Value pick. Family Dollar is a Motley Fool Stock Advisor selection.

Fool by Numbers is designed to give you the raw earnings information in a timely fashion, putting all the numbers you need in one easy-to-read place. But at The Motley Fool, we believe numbers tell only part of the story, so check Fool.com for more of our in-depth discussion of what the numbers mean.

At the time of publication, Fool analyst Andy Cross did not own shares in any company mentioned. Fool rules are here.