Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.
What: Shares of home furnishings retailer Restoration Hardware Holdings, Inc. (RH 2.49%) soared 13% today after its quarterly results and outlook topped Wall Street expectations.
So what: The stock has been sluggish in recent months on concerns over slowing growth, but Restoration's Q4 results -- adjusted EPS soared 38% on revenue growth of 33% -- coupled with upbeat guidance are quickly easing those worries. In fact, same-store sales during the quarter increased 17% while comparable brand revenue jumped 31%, suggesting that its competitive position is strengthening as well.
Now what: Management now sees Q1 EPS of $0.09-$0.11 on revenue of $345 million-$350 million, versus Wall Street's view of $0.07 and $349.3 million. "As we enter 2014, we remain focused on our two largest value driving strategies -- the expansion of our offer and the transformation of our retail stores," said Chairman and CEO Gary Friedman. "The expansion of our offer will be highlighted across 3,200 pages in our Spring 2014 Source Books, positioning us for what we believe will be another year of industry leading results." Of course, with the stock now up about 125% from its 52-week lows and trading at a 25-plus forward P/E, I'd hold out for a wider margin of safety before buying that bullishness.
