Sears' shares are exploding higher on cost-cutting promises — even as losses pile up (SHLD)

pulse

February 10, 2017 1:19 PM

Sears stock soared by more than 46% in premarket trading early Friday. The retailer said it plans to cut costs by $1 billion this year.

Sears revealed Friday that it had a brutal holiday quarter, and announced plans to cut costs by as much as $1 billion in 2017.

The company's stock soared by about 30% in early trading Friday.

For the fourth quarter, revenue plunged 16% to $6.1 billion, and net losses widened by up to $635 million from $580 million in the period last year, the company said, citing preliminary results.

Sales at stores open at least a year plunged 10.3%, including an 8% decline at Kmart stores and a 12.3% decline at Sears US stores.

For the full year, revenue is expected to fall 12% from last year to $22.1 billion. Sears' shares have fallen by more than 40% from the start of the year to market close on Thursday.Sears has been shutting stores and selling off assets to stem losses and repay debt, as it suffers a protracted decline in its business. The scale of its losses have analysts speculating that the company could file for bankruptcy and some suppliers cutting back on shipments.

The company said it would accrue savings from the closure of 150 Sears and Kmart stores over the next couple of months, among other actions.

"To build on our positive momentum, today we are initiating a fundamental restructuring of our operations that targets at least $1.0 billion in cost savings on annualized basis, as well as improves our operating performance," Sears CEO Eddie Lampert said in a statement. "To capture these savings, we plan to reduce our corporate overhead, more closely integrate our Sears and Kmart operations and improve our merchandising, supply chain, and inventory management."

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