Urban Outfitters Inc. (URBN) reported fiscal third quarter results on Thursday. The company posted earnings of $62.4 million, a growth of 5.3% from $59.3 million recorded in the year-ago quarter. Earnings per share came in at 36 cents, which edged past the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 35 cents derived from 28 covering analysts.   The company reported a 5.8% increase in net sales to $505.9 million during the quarter, compared to $478 million in the year-ago period. The expansion was primarily driven by a 2% growth in same-store sales coupled with the addition of 25 new stores in the first nine months of this fiscal. In terms of divisions, same-store sales grew by 3% in Anthropologie stores, while it reduced by 13% in Free People stores and by 5% in Urban Outfitters stores.   Urban Outfitters’ gross profit rose by 7.5% year over year to $210.1 million, while ...

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For Immediate Release

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Urban Outfitters Inc. (URBN) slumped more than 8% after warning of weak sales trends at its stores so far this year in response to data released on Wednesday that indicated the highest number of job losses in the private sector in nearly a decade.

"Thus far during fiscal 2010 total company sales are less than the same period in the prior year and our sales trend has declined from our most recently completed quarter," the company said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Philadelphia-based company had been one of the outperformers in the retail sector through most of last year due to strong demand for its niche Anthropologie brand. However, as the worsening economy hurt comparable-store sales, Urban Outfitters now plans to lower circulation of Anthropologie catalogs by about 14% to 18.4 million in fiscal 2010.

Shares of the company were down 7%

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Shares of Urban Outfitters Inc (URBN) are down by more than 7% on heavy volume. Fourth-quarter earnings were below expectations.

The casual clothing retailer said fourth-quarter profits totaled 24 cents per share, 4 cents below lowered expectations.

Same-store sales fell 1% due to even larger declines at the company's Anthropologie and Free People stores. Total revenues rose 9% thanks to direct-to-consumer sales.

Brokerage analysts had been cutting their fiscal 2010 forecasts on this Zacks #4 Rank ("sell") stock prior to the report. Today's report will likely lead to further negative revisions over the next several days.

"URBN" Free Stock Analysis: Buy? Sell? Hold?Zacks Investment Research

Urban Outfitters Inc's (URBN) share price took a dive a day after the apparel retailer reported flat same-store sale for November and cautioned of declining comps during the crucial holiday season.

The National Retail Federation forecast the worst holiday season in 6 years, and Urban Outfitters, which has generally been seen as a safe play in the retail segment, does not appear confident in its future performance. The company had reported a 10% rise in same-store sales in October.

Shares Urban fell as much as $14.70 in the early session, before paring some losses to trade down nearly 20% at noon.

"URBN" Free Stock Analysis: Buy? Sell? Hold?Zacks Investment Research