On Nov. 28, Dress Barn (NASDAQ:DBRN) released it first-quarter earnings report for the period ended Oct. 28.

  • Sales were up more than 12% this quarter, powered by a 7% increase in overall same-store sales.
  • Margin increases accelerated as they moved down the income statement. As a result of improved execution, the company raised its FY 2007 guidance by $0.05.
  • Of the 62 investors that have rated Dress Barn, 58 think the company will outperform the S&P 500. That's a pretty healthy endorsement. If you have an opinion about Dress Barn, bring it to CAPS.

(Figures in millions, except per-share data)

Income Statement Highlights

Q1 2007

Q1 2006

Change

Sales

$358.4

$318.9

12.4%

Net Profit

$27.4

$20.4

34.3%

EPS

$0.40

$0.32

25%

Diluted Shares

69.4

63.4

9.4%



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

Margin Checkup

Q1 2007

Q1 2006

Change*

Gross Margin

41.6%

41.4%

0.2

Operating Margin

12.4%

11.6%

0.8

Net Margin

7.7%

6.4%

1.3

*Expressed in percentage points.

Margins are the earnings engine. See how they work.

Balance Sheet Highlights

Assets

Q1 2007

Q1 2006

Change

Cash + ST Invest.

$177.6

$72.2

146%

Accounts Rec.

$0.0

$0.0

N/A

Inventory

$173.6

$166.5

4.3%



Liabilities

Q1 2007

Q1 2006

Change

Accounts Payable

$101.9

$100.0

1.9%

Long-Term Debt

$144.5

$145.6

(0.8%)



Learn the ways of the balance sheet.

Cash Flow Highlights

Someone check the storeroom. The cash flow statement is missing!

Find out why Fools always follow the money.

Related Companies:

  • CATO (NYSE:CTR)
  • Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST)
  • Charming Shoppes (NASDAQ:CHRS)

Related Foolishness:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor has recommended a number of fashion retailers. To see who they are, click here to take a free trial.

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, David Meier did not own shares in any of the companies mentioned. Fool rules for disclosure are here.