Shares of Gap rise on earnings despite pandemic
By Robert Davis
20:59, 26 August 2021
Retailer Gap saw its shares trade nearly 9% higher during after-hours Thursday after the company announced it beat Wall Street’s earnings expectations despite the COVID-19 Delta variant worrying some investors about future shopping trends.
The company reported EPS of $0.67 in its Q2 2021 earnings statement. Wall Street previously projected the company to earn $0.48 per share, according to Trefis.
Shares of Gap traded 1.13% lower during Thursday’s trading session, finishing at $26.35 per-share.
After-hours, shares traded nearly 8% higher and trended near $28 per share.
Earnings details
One reason for investor optimism is that the company continues to increase its foot traffic. According to the company’s earnings statement, Gap’s Q2 sales increased 12% over Q2 2019.
Net sales of $4.2bn were the highest second quarter sales in over a decade, up 29% over 2020 and up 5% compared to 2019 pre-COVID levels, according to the statement.
The largest specialty apparel company in the US, the San Francisco, California company includes brands Old Navy, Banana Republic and Athleta.
At the same time, Gap raised its full-year outlook for sales, operating margin, and EPS.
However, some analysts are concerned the company’s declining share value could be part of a long-term trend as the Delta variant threatens Gap’s current successes.
Shares of Gap have declined considerably from their high-water mark in May. At the time, shares traded for $37.37 per-share.
Twenty-three analysts at MarketWatch rated the shares as a “hold.”
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Looking ahead
To help mitigate investor concerns about in-person shopping during the pandemic, Gap announced Thursday it has acquired e-commerce startup Drapr which allows customers to try on clothes virtually.
Similarly, the company’s chief financial officer Katrina O’Connell said the company will focus on selling “purposeful” life-style brands to attract new customers.
“As we fuel profitable growth for the back half and beyond, we are focussed on strategic expansion of addressable markets to take share, building customer lifetime value and launching new initiatives to digitally transform Gap Inc. for the future,” O’Connell said in the press release.