Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF: chart) reported net sales of $297.4 million for the five-week period ended October 6, 2007, a 1% increase over net sales of $295.3 million for the five-week period ended September 30, 2006. September comparable store sales decreased 4% for the five-week period ended October 6, 2007, compared to the five-week period ended October 7, 2006. Total Company direct-to-consumer net sales increased 42% to $22.1 million for the five-week period ended October 6, 2007, compared to the five-week period ended September 30, 2006.

Year-to-date, the Company reported a net sales increase of 16% to $2.270 billion from $1.963 billion last year. Comparable store sales decreased 1% for the year-to-date period. Year-to-date, the Company reported direct-to- consumer net sales increased 52% to $131.8 million.

Chico's FAS, Inc. (CHS: chart) today reported that its sales results for the five-week period ended October 6, 2007, increased 7.3% to $175.9 million from $164.0 million reported for the five-week period ended September 30, 2006. Comparable store sales for the Company-owned stores decreased 8.3% for the five-week period ended October 6, 2007 compared to the same five-week period last year ending October 7, 2006.

For the thirty-five weeks ended October 6, 2007, total sales increased 10.7% to $1.18 billion from $1.07 billion reported for the thirty-five week period ended September 30, 2006. Comparable store sales for the Company-owned stores decreased 4.9% for the thirty-five week period ended October 6, 2007 compared to the thirty-five week period last year ending October 7, 2006.

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc (AEO: chart) total sales for the five weeks ended October 6, 2007 were $222.8 million, a decrease of 5% compared to $233.4 million for the five weeks ended September 30, 2006. Due to the 53rd week in fiscal 2006, September 2007 comps are compared to the five week period ended October 7, 2006. On this basis, comparable store sales decreased 2%, compared to an 11% increase for the same period last year.

The company also said that September sales were below the its expectations due in part to lower store traffic, particularly in regions where weather was unseasonably warm compared to last year.

Total sales for the year-to-date 35 week period ended October 6, 2007 increased 13% to $1.850 billion, compared to $1.635 billion for the 35 week period ended September 30, 2006. Comparable store sales increased 4% for the year-to-date period.

Based on September sales results, the company lowered its outlook for October, which is reflected in its revised third quarter earnings guidance of $0.44 to $0.45 per share, compared to $0.44 per share last year. Previous third quarter guidance was $0.47 to $0.48 per share.

Mothers Work, Inc. (MWRK: chart), maternity apparel retailer said that net sales for the month of September 2007 decreased 6.2% to $46.4 million from $49.5 million reported for the month of September 2006. The decrease in sales versus last year resulted primarily from a decrease in comparable store sales. Comparable store sales for September 2007 decreased 7.0% (based on 1,377 locations) versus a comparable store sales increase of 10.6% (based on 1,460 locations) for September 2006.


[R]11:00AM New York – Stocks in the morning trading in New York are trending higher after a rise in oil price, Wal-Mart lifting its earnings estimate, and lower trade deficit.[/R]

After nearly ninety minutes of trading, stocks in New York were trending higher. Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 65 to 14,144.05, Nasdaq up 16.9 to 2,828, and S&P 500 up 8.10 to 1,570.98.

The Commerce Department reported August merchandise and service trade deficit fell 2.4% to $57.6 billion, $1.4 billion less than $59 billion for the revised July deficit. Exports in August rose at $138.3 billion and imports gained $195.9 billion.

The report also noted that the August 2006 to August 2007 change in exports of goods reflected increases in industrial supplies and materials ($3.9 billion); capital goods ($3.4 billion); foods, feeds, and beverages ($1.7 billion); consumer goods ($1.3 billion); and automotive vehicles, parts, and engines ($1.1 billion). Other goods were virtually unchanged. The August 2006 to August 2007 change in imports of goods reflected increases in consumer goods ($1.8 billion); capital goods ($1.7 billion); automotive vehicles, parts, and engines ($0.9 billion); foods, feeds, and beverages ($0.6 billion); and other goods ($0.4 billion). A decrease occurred in industrial supplies and materials ($1.8 billion).

Wal-Mart (WMT: chart) jumped 3.5% or $1.61 to $47.20 after it reported that store sales increased 6.4% from a year ago for the five weeks ending on October 5th at domestic stores, 6.8% at Sam’s Club, and 20.1% at the international stores. Same store sales during the period increased 1.4% and for the 35-week period for the year increased 1.5% not counting fuel sales.

The Company expects the comparable store sales of its U.S. operations for the October four-week reporting period to be between flat and 2 percent, said Tom Schoewe, executive vice president and chief financial officer. The October four-week period runs from October 6 through November 2, 2007.
'We estimate that earnings per share from continuing operations for the third quarter of fiscal year 2008 will change from within our previously stated guidance of $0.62 to $0.65 to a range of $0.66 to $0.69,' Schoewe said. 'For the first two months of the quarter, we have seen improvement in initial margin and expense leverage at the Wal-Mart Stores division, which is driving this change.'

Gold traded up 1.1% or $8.70 to $754.40 lifting stocks of resource and mining companies. Freeport-McMoran (FCX: chart) gained $1.00 to $118.09, BHP Billiton (BHP: chart) surged $4.08 to $86.12, Rio Tinto (RTP: chart) added $8.55 to $370.30 in New York trading.



[R]7:00AM New York, 7:00PM Hong Kong – Unemployment rate fell to 4.2% in September as 13,000 people join labor force.[/R]