The Tilly's Bear Case Following A Q3 Beat

Shares of Tilly's Inc (NYSE: TLYS) climbed as much as 34 percent to set a new 52-week high of $13.19 following the company’s third-quarter beat, driven by strong Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales and cost cuts.

Tilly’s, a specialty retailer of casual apparel, footwear and accessories, reported third quarter EPS of $0.22, well above consensus estimate of $0.11 and above the high end of management’s guidance range of $0.07–$0.13. The company also provided fourth-quarter EPS guidance in the range of $0.15–$0.20, in line with consensus of $0.18.

“We believe that overall the company will have a good holiday selling season given its broad offering of trend-right brands,” Stifel analyst Richard Jaffe wrote in a note.

Jaffe believes the outlook is conservative given the solid third-quarter results and strong Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales.

Sidelined At Hold

The analyst, who has a Hold rating on the stock, said Tilly’s is mitigating the industry challenges with its broad assortment of branded apparel for youths and trend-right private label for men, women and kids at right prices.

However, Jaffe remains on the sidelines, saying the “current valuation already reflects a potential turnaround and the strategic initiatives put in place by the new CEO which will help drive sales and improve productivity.”

But, Jaffe raised the price target to $11 from $9.50. At last check, the stock had surged 36.58 percent on the day to $13.48 on heavy volume.