Inventory weighs on ARO

Article Excerpt

AEROPOSTALE INC.$13.75 (New York symbol ARO; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (646-485-5410; www.aeropostale.com; Shares outstanding: 78.5 million; Market cap: $1.1 billion; No dividends paid) saw its sales fall 9.0% in the three months ended May 4, 2013, to $452.3 million from $497.2 million a year earlier. Samestore sales declined 14%. The teen-clothing retailer lost $0.16 a share, compared to a year-ago profit of $0.13 a share. Aeropostale had to spend heavily on promotions and marketing to clear out inventory from the preceding quarter. The company will likely be able to repeat its past success at attracting customers, but its sales may remain weak in the near term. Aeropostale is still a hold. hold…