Sunday, March 3, 2013

Why Haverty Furniture Shares Popped

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 Haverty Furniture (NYSE: HVT  ) were up 10% today after the company posted a solid earnings report.

So what: Haverty's fourth-quarter results showed $182.3 million in revenue and $0.30 in earnings per share. The company posted an 8.4% growth in net sales for the quarter and 6% increase in same-store sales. For the full year, Haverty's revenue clocked in at $670 million, and its full-year EPS was $0.76. The company managed a 7.9% increase in net sales for the full year, and a vague report on quarter-to-date progress for 2013 shows a roughly 14% gain in both orders and delivered sales over the year-ago quarter. The results prompted analyst Budd Bugatch to raise his price target to $20, as it had previously been set at a level Haverty broke through today.

Now what: Haverty is making consistent strides forward and is yet another company benefiting from renewed strength in the housing market. A special dividend of $22 million ($1.04 per share, or an additional 5.7% yield) also excited investors today, so it's quite possible that shares will drop soon after dividend-seekers have had their fill. You might take this as an opportunity to earn a respectable payout, or wait until the ex-dividend date to revisit.

Want more news and updates? Add Haverty Furniture to your Watchlist now.

The retail space is in the midst of the biggest paradigm shift since mail order took off at the turn of last century. Only the most forward-looking and capable companies will survive, and they'll handsomely reward investors who understand the landscape. You can read about the 3 Companies Ready to Rule Retail in The Motley Fool's special report. Uncovering these top picks is free today; just click here to read more.

No comments:

Post a Comment