Genesco Inc reported earnings from continuing operations for the fourth quarter ended January 28, 2012, of $41.5 million, or $1.72 per diluted share, compared to earnings from continuing operations of $31.4 million, or $1.34 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter ended January 29, 2011.
Fiscal 2012 fourth quarter results reflect pretax items of $3.7 million, or $0.25 per diluted share after tax, including compensation expense related to deferred purchase price payments in connection with the acquisition of Schuh Group Limited in June 2011 and other legal matters, and an effective tax rate reflecting the non-deductibility of the compensation expense related to the deferred purchase price.
As previously announced, because the obligation to pay the deferred purchase price for Schuh is contingent upon the continued employment of the payees, U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles require that it be treated as compensation expense.
For tax purposes, however, the obligation is treated as purchase price, and is therefore not deductible. Fiscal 2011 fourth quarter results were favorably affected by $0.08 per share due to a lower tax rate offset by pretax items totaling $2.8 million, or $0.07 per diluted share after tax, primarily related to network intrusion expenses, asset impairments and purchase price accounting adjustments.
Adjusted for the items described above in both periods, earnings from continuing operations were $47.5 million, or $1.97 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2012, compared to earnings from continuing operations of $31.3 million, or $1.33 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2011.
For consistency with Fiscal 2012's previously announced earnings expectations and with previously reported adjusted results for the prior year period, the Company believes that the disclosure of the results from continuing operations adjusted for these items will be useful to investors.
Additionally, the Company believes that the presentation of earnings from continuing operations before the compensation expense associated with the Schuh deferred purchase price will enable investors to understand the effect attributable to incorporating a continuing employment condition into the obligation to pay deferred purchase price.
Net sales for the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2012 increased 29% to $723 million from $560 million in the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2011. Comparable store sales in the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2012 increased by 12%. The Lids Sports Group's comparable store sales increased by 13%, the Journeys Group increased by 14%, Johnston & Murphy Retail increased by 8%, and Underground Station decreased by 4%.