Topic: How To Invest

Q: Pat, I’m thinking of buying shares of Tiffany & Co. Can I have your recommendation on the stock? Thanks.

Article Excerpt

A: Tiffany & Co., $94.16, symbol TIF on New York, (Shares outstanding: 124.3 million; Market cap: $11.8 billion; www.tiffany.com), is a leading international retailer, designer, manufacturer and distributor of fine jewelry and gift items. These include watches, clocks, sterling silverware, china, crystal, stationery and fragrances. Tiffany is based in New York City and operates 315 stores (124 in the Americas, 87 in Asia-Pacific, 54 in Japan, 46 in Europe, and four in the UAE). It also sells its products online. Overall revenue rose 5.5%, from $4.03 billion in 2013 to $4.25 billion in 2014. Revenue tailed off 3.5%, to $4.10 billion in 2015, and then a further 2.4%, to $4.00 billion in 2016.  It then rose 4.3% to $4.17 billion in 2017. A one-time arbitration award expense of $480.2 million limited earnings in 2013 to $181.4 million (or $1.41 per share). Earnings jumped 167.0%, to $484.2 million (or $3.73 per share) in 2014, although they slumped 4.2%, to $463.9 million (or $3.59 per…