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What Buckle's Earnings Mean For Mutual Fund Investors (BKE)

Shauna O'Brien Mar 13, 2015

Before Friday’s opening bell, apparel retailer Buckle (BKE) released its fourth quarter financial results. Here’s what the results mean for mutual fund investors.

Inside BKE’s Results

Earnings

The retailer reported net income of $60.13 million, or $1.25 per share, compared to $59.30 million, or $1.23 per share, last year. Analysts expected to see EPS of $1.24.

Revenue
Revenue rose 4.3% to $353.54 million from $339.00 million. On average, analysts expected revenue of $353.50 million. Comparable sales for the quarter increased by 1.1%.

Unimpressive Comps & Underperformance

Comps

While Buckle reported a 1.1% increase in comparable store sales for the fourth quarter, monthly comps have not been so impressive. Over the last five months, BKE’s monthly comps have been mostly negative.

Month	Comps
February	-2.7%
January	+0.8%
December	+2.5%
November	-1%
October	-4.4%

Stock Performance

While BKE’s shares are not collapsing like some of its apparel retail peers, the company has failed to perform in-line with the sector as a whole. In the last 12 months, shares of BKE have increased about 6%, while the retail industry has gained over 15%.

Mutual Funds to Watch

Investors interested in BKE may be interested in the funds listed below. These funds currently have the largest stakes in the company:

Symbol	Mutual Fund	Stake
RYPRX	Royce Premier Invmt	3.56%
RYSEX	Royce Special Equity Invmt	3.54%
PENNX	Royce Pennsylvania Mutual Invmt	1.88%

The Bottom Line

The funds listed above allow investors to gain exposure to BKE while remaining diversified. Investors interested in BKE may also be interested in The Gap (GPS) or L Brands (LB).

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