Retail Sales Push Higher in February (COST, TGT, KSS, JWN, SKS, SSI, M, GPS, TJX, LTD, ROST, SMRT, WTSLA, BKE, ZUMZ)

Some highlights:

• Costco sales rose 8%, but shares are flat shortly before noon.
• Macy’s posted a same-store sales jump of 4.6%, and the company’s shares hit a 52-week high of $38.38.
• TJX’s sales rose 9% and the shares posted a new 52-week high of $37.07.
• Ross Stores’ sales jumped 9% as well, and the company’s stock put up a new 52-week high of $54.27.
• Buckle’s same-store sales rose a whopping 14.8%, and the shares posted a new 52-week high of $48.43.
• Zumiez’s sales rose 14.2% in February and the stock put up a new 52-week high of $33.84.

The biggest change came from Gap Stores. The company posted a same-store sales jump of 4%, when analysts were expecting a shortfall of -1.4%. Shares posted a new 52-week high of $26.00, more than $2/share above the previous high.

Kohl’s and Wet Seal were the only stores on this list to show sales dips, but Wet Seal’s dip was only half what had been expected. Kohl’s was expected to break even, but same-store sales fell -0.8%.

Paul Ausick