Topic: How To Invest

Pat: What is your view on Coach Inc.? Their purses and such seem really popular these days. Thanks.

Article Excerpt

Coach Inc., $72.57, symbol COH on New York (Shares outstanding: 295.5 million; Market cap: $21.4 billion; www.coach.com) designs and sells a wide range of accessories for men and women, including handbags, belts, wallets, card cases, shoes, luggage and jewellery. The company designs these products, but they are made by third-party manufacturers, mainly in Asia. Coach gets 87% of its sales by selling goods through three main channels: the Internet, catalogues and its company-owned retail stores and factory outlets in North America (507 stores), Japan (184 stores) and China (80 stores). The company gets the remaining 13% of its sales by selling goods in department stores and by licensing its brand to makers of other products, such as sunglasses, watches and perfumes. In its fiscal 2012 second quarter, which ended December 31, 2011, Coach earned $347.5 million. That’s up 14.5% from $303.4 million a year earlier. The company spent $300 million on share buybacks during the quarter. Because of fewer shares outstanding, earnings…