TJX reports a strong Q4: here's what its CEO said today

TJX Companies Inc (NYSE: TJX) is trading up in premarket on Wednesday after reporting strong financial results for its fourth quarter.

TJX expects sequential decline in EPS

Investors are content even though the off-price retailer issued somewhat of a muted guidance for the future. TJX now expects up to 3.0% annualised growth in comparable sales in Q1.

Analysts, in comparison, were at 3.8%. Ernie Herrman – the chief executive of TJX Companies said in a press release today:

The department store chain forecasts 84 cents to 85 cents of per-share earnings in the first quarter - also short of Street estimates. $TJX is now up close to 40% versus its 52-week low.

TJX Companies Q4 earnings snapshot

• Earned $1.40 billion versus the year-ago $1.03 billion
• Per-share earnings also climbed from 89 cents to $1.22
• Adjusted EPS printed at $1.12 as per the earnings report
• Revenue jumped 13% year-over-year to $16.4 billion
• Consensus was $1.12 a share on $16.2 billion in revenue

TJX Companies improved its pre-tax profit margin by 200 basis points to 11.2% in Q4. CEO Herrman also said on Wednesday: