Fred's Foot Traffic Falling Behind That Of Dollar Stores

MKM Partners shined a spotlight on June sales for Fred’s, Inc FRED, which MKM’s analysts believe may have been boosted by the Memorial Day holiday and warmer, drier weather. They expect to see a 1-3 percent increase in comps when June results are reported.

The weather is believed to have a positive impact on June sales, where seasonal merchandise is concerned, and the pharmacy is thought to have experienced solid performance. Looking further, MKM sees 1 percent comps growth for the second quarter, compared to company issued guidance of 0-2 percent, and wants to see EPS of $0.02, versus a loss of $0.13 per share in the second quarter 2015.

MKM maintains its Neutral rating and $14 estimate of fair value, which implies downside of 12.8 percent to shares based on their Wednesday closing price of $16.05.