Zale Realized Its First Profit Since 2008

US jewelry group Zale Corp. (NYSE: ZLC) released its fourth quarter and full year earnings as of July 31, 2013, making its first profit in six years, growing 5.6% in the same quarter and exceeding analysts' expectations. By the good news, Zale Corp. (NYSE: ZLC) shares jumped more than 20% after the market, and the time for sending the news to China NYSE: was up to 10.95 dollars.

　　 Zale Corp. (NYSE: ZLC) CEO Theo Killion said she was pleased that the company was in a strong financial season, while its sales and profit margins increased, and more importantly, the company achieved its first profit in six years.

As of the four quarter of July 31, 2013, Zale Corp. (NYSE: ZLC) revenue increased by 2.46% to 417 million US dollars, compared with 407 million US dollars in the same period last year. On the basis of a 8.3% increase in sales in the fourth quarter of last year, the same store sales grew 5.6% in the fourth quarter of this year. The sales of Zales brands, including Zales Jewelers and Zales Outlet, increased by 8.1% (the same store sales increased 12.3% last year), while the sales of Peoples brand stores increased 5.6%. Piercing Pagoda Brand store sales increased by 0.3%. Sales of us brand stores in the region, including Zales and Gordon 's Jewelers, grew by 7.2% (11.2% over the same period last year), including sales of Canadian brands and Peoples Jewellers and Mappins Jewellers grew by 3.3% (2% over the same period last year).

Fourth quarter gross profit increased by 5.71% to 222 million US dollars, compared with 210 million US dollars in the same period last year. Gross margin increased by 150 basis points to 53.1%; operating profit was -300 million, narrowing sharply compared with last year's -800 dollar loss; net loss 8 million US dollars or share loss 0.25 us dollars, also narrowed sharply compared with the same period last year's net loss of 20 million US dollars or the loss per share of 0.61 US dollars.

In the 2013 fiscal year ended July 31, 2013, Zale Corp. (NYSE: ZLC) revenue increased by 1.07% to $1 billion 890 million, compared with $1 billion 870 million in the same period last year, while sales in the same store grew by 3.3%, including Zales Jewelers and Zales Outlet Sales of Zales brands, including the same store, grew by 4.7% (10.8% over the same period last year), while Peoples brand store sales increased 5.7% (4.3% in the same store last year), while Piercing Pagoda brand store sales grew 1.3%. Sales of us brand stores in the region, including Zales and Gordon 's Jewelers, grew by 3.7% (9.5% over the same period last year), including sales of Canadian brands and Peoples Jewellers and Mappins Jewellers grew by 3.1% (2.9% over the same period last year).

In the 2013 fiscal year, Zale Corp. (NYSE: ZLC) gross profit increased by 2.39% to 9.84 US dollars, compared with 961 million US dollars in the same period last year. Gross profit margin increased by 60 basis points to 52.1%; operating profit increased 84.21% to 35 million US dollars, compared with 19 million US dollars in the same period last year, for example, the rate of business growth was 90 basis points to 1.9%; net profit was USD or earnings per share was USD, and last year it was a loss of US dollars or earnings per share -0.85 US dollars.

In the 2013 fiscal year ended July 31, 2013, Zale Corp. (NYSE: ZLC) inventories increased slightly to US $768 million from US $7.42 in the same period last year, and the outstanding debt decreased by US $43 million to US $410 million.