A&F Reports Slimmer-Than-Expected Q1 Loss, Shares Jump

Shares of A&F ANF have rallied nearly eight percent in Thursday's pre-market session following strong first-quarter sales and a better-than-expected loss of $0.17 per share. Analysts had been expecting a loss of about $0.19 per share. The retailer said total same-store sales were down four percent on total sales of $822 million, compared to the Wall Street analyst estimate of $787 million. A&F reaffirmed its fiscal year earnings guidance but boosted the capex guidance from around $200 million previously to between $210 and $220 million. The stock last traded at $37.84, up from Wednesday's closing price of $35.12.