Petite Plume, the luxury sleepwear and lifestyle company, has named Irina Topuria its first president. She will oversee the company’s strategic growth, operations and expansion as Petite Plume enters its next phase of scaling. More from WWD Petite Plume was launched in 2015 with the aim of redefining the standards of sleepwear. The company offers classic and nostalgic silhouettes in ultra-fine fabrics, often with whimsical touches. The company makes clothing for women, men, kids and babies, as well as t ...

Core Insights - Fashion has become a significant growth area for Dillard's Inc. (DDS), enabling the company to achieve category-level gains despite a challenging retail environment [1][2] - Dillard's reported a 3% increase in total retail sales and comparable-store sales in the third quarter of fiscal 2025, indicating steady customer engagement [2][10] - The company's merchandising strategy, which focuses on curated assortments and higher-margin private labels, has been a key driver of recent fashion momentum [3][4] Sales Performance - Dillard's experienced strong gains in women's apparel, dresses, occasion wear, juniors', children's apparel, accessories, and lingerie [10] - The company expanded its gross margin, with additional gains in shoes, men's apparel, home goods, furniture, and cosmetics [10] Market Position - Dillard's has outperformed many traditional department store peers, suggesting that its disciplined assortment planning and brand relevance resonate well with consumers [2][5] - The company's shares have increased by 54.6% over the past year, compared to the industry's growth of 52.6% [6] Valuation Metrics - Dillard's trades at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio of 22.6X, which is higher than the industry's 15.30X multiple [9] Future Outlook - The sustainability of the current demand for discretionary items is uncertain due to inflation and economic factors, but Dillard's focused merchandising and inventory management position it well for near-term challenges [5] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate indicates a year-over-year decline in earnings for fiscal 2025 and 2026, but estimates have been revised upward in the past 30 days [13]

Core Insights - The company aims to improve its performance in the upcoming Valentine's Day after facing challenges last year [1] Company Strategy - The lingerie purveyor is focusing on better preparation for the holiday of romance in February [1]

Core Viewpoint - Momentum investing focuses on "buying high and selling higher," contrasting with traditional strategies of "buying low and selling high" [1] Group 1: Momentum Investing Characteristics - Momentum investing can be risky as stocks may lose momentum when their valuations exceed future growth potential, leading to potential losses for investors [2] - A safer approach involves investing in bargain stocks that exhibit recent price momentum, utilizing tools like the Zacks Momentum Style Score to identify such opportunities [3] Group 2: Victoria's Secret (VSCO) Analysis - Victoria's Secret (VSCO) has shown significant recent price momentum, with a four-week price change of 35%, indicating growing investor interest [4] - Over the past 12 weeks, VSCO's stock has gained 86%, with a beta of 2.24, suggesting it moves 124% higher than the market in either direction [5] - VSCO has a Momentum Score of B, indicating a favorable time to invest based on momentum [6] Group 3: Earnings Estimates and Valuation - An upward trend in earnings estimate revisions has contributed to VSCO earning a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy), as analysts raising estimates attract more investor interest [7] - VSCO is trading at a Price-to-Sales ratio of 0.68, suggesting it is undervalued, as investors pay only 68 cents for each dollar of sales [7] Group 4: Additional Investment Opportunities - Besides VSCO, there are other stocks that meet the criteria of the 'Fast-Paced Momentum at a Bargain' screen, presenting further investment opportunities [8] - The Zacks Premium Screens offer over 45 different strategies to help identify winning stock picks based on various investing styles [9]

Core Viewpoint - Victoria's Secret (VSCO) shows a promising earnings outlook, with analysts raising their earnings estimates, indicating potential for continued stock momentum [1][2]. Estimate Revisions - The trend in estimate revisions reflects growing analyst optimism regarding Victoria's Secret's earnings prospects, which is expected to positively influence its stock price [2]. - For the current quarter, the earnings estimate is $2.42 per share, a decrease of 6.9% year-over-year, but the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased by 9.61% over the last 30 days due to two upward revisions [6]. - For the full year, the expected earnings are $2.53 per share, representing a year-over-year decline of 6.0%, yet the consensus estimate has risen by 28.66% as four estimates have been revised upward without any negative revisions [7][8]. Zacks Rank - Victoria's Secret currently holds a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy), indicating strong potential for outperformance based on favorable estimate revisions [9]. - Historically, stocks with a Zacks Rank 1 have generated an average annual return of +25% since 2008, suggesting a robust track record of performance [3]. Stock Performance - The stock has gained 47% over the past four weeks, driven by solid estimate revisions, making it an attractive addition to investment portfolios [10].

Core Viewpoint - Momentum investing focuses on "buying high and selling higher" rather than the traditional "buying low and selling high" approach, aiming for quicker profits [1] Group 1: Momentum Investing Characteristics - Fast-moving trending stocks can be difficult to enter at the right time, as they may lose momentum if future growth does not justify their high valuations [2] - Investing in bargain stocks that have recently shown price momentum can be a safer strategy [3] Group 2: Victoria's Secret (VSCO) Analysis - VSCO has shown a significant price increase of 44.8% over the past four weeks, indicating growing investor interest [4] - Over the past 12 weeks, VSCO's stock gained 82.9%, demonstrating its ability to deliver positive returns over a longer timeframe [5] - VSCO has a Momentum Score of A, suggesting it is an opportune time to invest in the stock [6] Group 3: Earnings Estimates and Valuation - An upward trend in earnings estimate revisions has contributed to VSCO earning a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy), which is associated with strong momentum effects [7] - VSCO is trading at a Price-to-Sales ratio of 0.64, indicating it is relatively cheap, as investors pay only 64 cents for each dollar of sales [7] Group 4: Additional Investment Opportunities - Besides VSCO, there are other stocks that meet the criteria of the 'Fast-Paced Momentum at a Bargain' screen, suggesting further investment opportunities [8] - The Zacks Premium Screens offer over 45 different strategies to help identify potential winning stocks based on various investing styles [9]

Core Insights - Victoria's Secret is implementing a strategic initiative called the Path to Potential, aimed at improving sales and expanding profit margins by reducing discounting [1][5] - The company is experiencing an improvement in comparable sales and generating more free cash flow, indicating positive financial health [3][5] Financial Performance - As of December 8, 2025, Telsey Advisory set a price target of $50 for Victoria's Secret stock, which was priced at $49.71 at that time, showing a slight difference of about 0.58% from the target [2] - Currently, the stock is priced at $49.57, reflecting a 1.06% increase or $0.52 from the previous price [2] - The stock has fluctuated between $46.65 and $50.21 on the same day [2] - The market capitalization of Victoria's Secret is approximately $3.97 billion, with 2,199,326 shares traded today [4] - Over the past year, the stock has reached a high of $50.22 and a low of $13.76, indicating a significant range in its stock price [4]

Core Insights - Ulta Beauty (ULTA) shares reached a record high after reporting earnings that exceeded analysts' expectations and raising its outlook [1] - The stock increased over 14%, leading gains in the S&P 500 [1] Financial Performance - Ulta Beauty reported third-quarter earnings per share of $5.14 and revenue of $2.86 billion, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 12.9% [1][6] - Comparable store sales rose by 6.3%, driven by a 3.8% increase in average ticket and a 2.4% rise in transactions [2] Growth Drivers - Revenue growth was primarily attributed to higher comparable sales, the acquisition of British luxury cosmetics seller Space NK, and the opening of new stores [2] - The company has revised its full-year EPS forecast to $25.20 to $25.50 and sales to approximately $12.3 billion, up from previous estimates of $23.85 to $24.30 EPS and $12 billion to $12.1 billion in sales [5] Market Context - The beauty sector has shown resilience compared to other retail categories, with consumers continuing to spend on cosmetics and fragrances [3] - Ulta's strong performance may be linked to the "lipstick effect," where consumers maintain spending on small indulgences during economic uncertainty [4]

Core Insights - Victoria's Secret (VSCO) shares surged after the company reported better-than-expected third-quarter results and raised its guidance due to reduced promotions and increased prices [1][5] Financial Performance - The company reported a third-quarter loss of $0.46 per share, which was $0.13 lower than analysts' forecasts [1] - Revenue increased by 9.2% to $1.47 billion, surpassing expectations, with comparable store sales up by 5% and direct-to-consumer sales gaining 8% [1][6] - North American sales rose by 5.4% to $778 million, while direct-to-consumer sales increased by 4.3% to $428.5 million; international sales saw a significant jump of 33.5% to $264.8 million [3] Strategic Initiatives - The company's turnaround strategy focuses on fewer promotions and more full-price selling, which appears to be effective as indicated by comparable sales growth and improved margins [2] - Adjusted gross margin grew by 170 basis points, attributed to a reduced promotional approach and higher regular-priced selling [4] Future Outlook - Victoria's Secret raised its full-year adjusted EPS guidance to between $2.40 and $2.65, and revenue expectations to $6.45 billion to $6.48 billion, up from previous estimates of $1.80 to $2.20 for EPS and $6.33 billion to $6.41 billion for revenue [5]

Rubric - Rubric reported a surprise profit with adjusted EPS of 10 cents per share, significantly better than the expected loss of 17 cents per share [2] - Revenue for Rubric topped $350 million, exceeding expectations, driven by a 52% growth in subscription revenue, indicating strong customer retention [2][3] - The company achieved positive operating income for the first time, with gross margins climbing to over 82%, reflecting efficient scaling of the business [3][4] - Free cash flow surged to $76.9 million, up nearly 400% year-over-year, and Rubric holds over $1.5 billion in cash, providing ample room for growth without needing to raise additional funds [4][5] Victoria's Secret - Victoria's Secret reported a loss of 27 cents per share, better than the expected loss of 59 cents, with revenue coming in at $1.47 billion, also exceeding expectations [6][7] - The company experienced less reliance on discounting, leading to improved margins and a shrinking quarterly loss, with strong performance across both its namesake brand and Pink [7][8] - Traffic improvements outpaced overall mall traffic, indicating a resurgence in popularity among younger consumers, particularly those aged 18 to 24 [9] Ulta Beauty - Ulta Beauty's shares surged following better-than-expected results, with adjusted EPS of $5.14 compared to the expected $4.56, and revenue of $2.86 billion, surpassing the anticipated $2.72 billion [11] - Comparable sales increased by more than 6%, with strong performance in both mass market and premium brands, indicating robust consumer spending on beauty products [12][13] - The company reported positive trends in average transaction value and increased customer transactions, suggesting strong momentum heading into the holiday shopping season [13]