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Target Falls Short, Lowers EPS Guidance (TGT, COST, WMT)

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By Paul Ausick Published

Big box retailer Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) posted a same-store sales gain of 1.6% for December, well short of the consensus estimate of 3.1%. This compares with a 7% same-store sales gain at Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ: COST). Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) does not provide monthly reports.

Target’s CEO had this to say about the December results:

December sales were below our expectations as growth in Grocery and Beauty offset softness in Electronics and Music, Movies & Books. Sales and traffic were strongest in the week leading up to Christmas as guests waited to shop for last-minute gifts.

The company also lowered its fourth-quarter diluted EPS guidance from $1.43-$1.53 to $1.35-$1.43.

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About the Author Paul Ausick →

Paul Ausick has been writing for 247Wallst.com for more than a decade. He has written extensively on investing in the energy, defense, and technology sectors. In a previous life, he wrote technical documentation and managed a marketing communications group in Silicon Valley.

He has a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Chicago and now lives in Montana, where he fishes for trout in the summer and stays inside during the winter.

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