Francesca's Reports Mixed Earnings

Shares of Francesca's

are trading higher in the after-hours following the release of the company's Q3 earnings results. Currently, shares are higher by 0.24%, trading at $16.77; they ended the regular session lower by 4.73%, at $16.73. Francesca's reported Q3 EPS of $0.14 on revenues of $50 million; the Street was looking for $0.13 per share on revenues of $52.4 million. Revenues increased 42.5% year over year. John De Meritt, President and CEO stated: "We are pleased to report another very productive quarter across all metrics. We exceeded our original EPS guidance for the quarter. Our 76 new boutiques opened this year are performing well with excellent returns on invested capital. We are pleased with our customers' continuing acceptance of our diverse merchandise assortment, compelling value and our differentiated shopping experience.” “Looking ahead, we are still in the early stages of a strong growth trajectory with 283 boutiques open and operating of our estimated total potential of 900. Our balance sheet remains strong and inventory levels are in great shape going into the holiday season." The company sees Q4 EPS in the range of $0.14-0.15 on revenues of $55.5-57.0 million; the Street was at $0.16 per share on revenues of $57.13 million. Francesca's Holdings Corporation is a holding company. The company's business operations are conducted through its wholly owned indirect subsidiary, Francesca's Collections, Inc.