I'm not one to rely on charts to make investing decisions, but I do often take a look at a chart that offers a company's share performance over its entire life. The chart itself doesn't actually help in making an investment decision, but they often paint curious pictures that lead to questions needing answers.
In the case of Restoration Hardware
On the bright side, revenues were up an impressive 19%, and same-store sales were a solid 5% with more strong sales growth expected in the next quarter. With such strong sales growth it does raise the interesting question of what exactly is causing the company to continue to lose money. After all, this isn't a high-tech growth outfit; it's a retailer that's been around for a while now.
A quick glance at the income statement shows that selling, general, and administrative expenses (SG&A) grew just as quickly as sales did. Strong direct-to-customer growth is allowing Restoration Hardware to get some leverage on its cost of goods sold and occupancy costs, but not on its SG&A expense.
Like many retailers, Restoration Hardware counts on its final quarter to pull it into the black, and so far this year looks to be no different. However, the company does seem to be gaining some traction in its war to attain profitability. With competitor Pier 1 Imports
For more Foolish Restoration Hardware articles check out:
Nathan Parmelee has a sofa from Crate & Barrel and various other trinkets from a variety of retailers, but he has no financial interest in any of the companies mentioned.