- Losses related to the early retirement of debt of (41) cents per share;
- EPS dilution related to the Canadian Segment of (24) cents, and;
- Net accounting gains of 36 cents associated with the sale of Target’s entire consumer credit card receivables portfolio to TD Bank Group.
Adjusted earnings per share, a measure the Company believes is useful in providing period-to-period comparisons of the results of its U.S. operations, were $1.05 in first quarter 2013, down 5.0 percent from $1.11 in 2012.
“Target’s first quarter earnings were below expectations as a result of softer-than-expected sales, particularly in apparel and other seasonal and weather-sensitive categories,” said Gregg Steinhafel, chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Target Corporation.
“While we are disappointed in our first quarter performance, we remain confident in our strategy, and we continue to invest in initiatives, including Canada, our digital channels and CityTarget, that will drive Target’s long-term growth.”
Fiscal 2013 Earnings Guidance
In second quarter 2013, the Company expects adjusted EPS of $1.09 to $1.19 and GAAP EPS of $0.90 to $1.00.
The difference between the adjusted and GAAP EPS ranges reflects expected dilution of approximately (16) cents related to Canadian operations, and (3) cents related to the expected reduction in the beneficial interest asset recorded on the sale of our credit card portfolio.
For full-year 2013, the Company now expects adjusted EPS of $4.70 to $4.90, compared with prior guidance of $4.85 to $5.05. GAAP EPS is expected to be $4.12 to $4.32, approximately 58 cents lower than adjusted EPS due to:
- Losses related to the early retirement of debt of (42) cents per share;
- Expected EPS dilution related to the Canadian Segment of approximately (45) cents, and;
- Net accounting gains of approximately 29 cents associated with the sale of Target’s entire consumer credit card receivables portfolio to TD Bank Group.
U.S. Segment Results
In first quarter 2013, sales increased 0.5 percent to $16.6 billion from $16.5 billion last year, reflecting a 0.6 percent decline in comparable-store sales combined with the contribution from new stores. Segment earnings before interest expense and income taxes (EBIT) were $1,239 million in the first quarter of 2013, a decrease of 7.5 percent from $1,340 million in 2012.
As a reminder, following the sale of the U.S. credit card portfolio in March 2013, Target’s historical U.S. Retail Segment and U.S. Credit Card Segment results were combined to form a new U.S. Segment. Selling, General and Administrative (SG&A) expenses in the new U.S. Segment include income from the profit-sharing arrangement with TD Bank Group, net of servicing expenses. In prior periods, credit card revenues, net of credit card expenses, from the historical U.S. Credit Card Segment have been classified within U.S. Segment SG&A expenses.