We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.
If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.
J.Jill, Inc. (JILL - Free Report) is back on trend with women's apparel and has raised full year 2024 guidance. This Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) also recently initiated a quarterly dividend.
J.Jill is a national women's retailer that provides apparel, footwear and accessories. It operates 244 stores in the United States and an e-commerce platform. It's a small cap company with a market cap of just $399 million.
Another Beat in Fiscal Q1 2024
On June 7, 2024, J. Jill reported its fiscal first quarter 2024 results and beat on the Zacks Consensus by $0.08, or 7%. Earnings were $1.22 versus the Zacks Consensus of $1.14.
J. Jill has put together an impressive earnings surprise track record the last few years. This was the 11th quarterly earnings beat in a row.
Sales rose 7.5% to $161.5 million from $150.2 million in the year ago period.
Comparable sales, which is a key metric in retail, rose 3.1% year-over-year.
The company also has its direct-to-consumer business humming as it represented 47% of total net sales, which was up 11.6% compared to the first quarter of last year.
Gross margin also expanded 80 basis points to 72.9% from 72.1% in the first quarter of fiscal 2023.
Analysts Bullish on F2024 and F2025
J.Jill is bullish. It now expects full year fiscal 2024 sales to grow between 1% and 3%.
The analysts are bullish too. They have been raising their earnings estimates over the past 60 days. That has pushed the Zacks Consensus for fiscal 2024 up to $3.43 from $3.25 just sixty days ago. That is earnings growth of 9.6% over fiscal 2023 as J.Jill made just $3.13 last year.
They are also bullish on fiscal 2025 with analysts expecting another 14.6% earnings growth, or $3.93.
Here's what it looks like on the price and consensus chart.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Reducing Debt and Interest Expense
J. Jill has also made a concerted effort to pay down its outstanding debt. On May 10, 2024, it made a voluntary debt prepayment of $58.2 million.
And on June 24, 2024, J.Jill announced it had executed another voluntary debt principal payment of $27.2 million, which reduced the amount outstanding under the Company's term loan to about $81 million.
In addition to the principal, accrued interest and a 3% voluntary premium were paid, which resulted in a total payment of $28.8 million.
For the June 24 payment, J.Jill used the proceeds from a $31 million primary equity offering completed on June 14, 2024.
Initiating a Dividend
Also on May 10, 2024, the company announced it was initiating a $0.07 per share quarterly dividend. It also said it intends to pay it quarterly, per Board approval, of course.
The dividend is currently yielding 0.8%.
Shares Hit 5-Year Highs in 2024
J.Jill is a small cap company so it's stock is subject to more volatility. But the shares have been rising the last 5 years and hit a new high earlier in 2024.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Year-to-date, shares are up 34%, which is beating the performance of the S&P 500, which is up 17.4% during that same time.
Yet, J.Jill shares are cheap. It trades with a forward P/E of just 9.9 and has a P/S ratio of only 0.6. A P/S ratio under 1.0 usually indicates a company is undervalued. An investor is getting the shares on sale.
For investors looking for a small cap retailer that is on the upswing, J.Jill should be on your short list.
See More Zacks Research for These Tickers
Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:
Image: Bigstock
Bull of the Day: J.Jill (JILL)
J.Jill, Inc. (JILL - Free Report) is back on trend with women's apparel and has raised full year 2024 guidance. This Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) also recently initiated a quarterly dividend.
J.Jill is a national women's retailer that provides apparel, footwear and accessories. It operates 244 stores in the United States and an e-commerce platform. It's a small cap company with a market cap of just $399 million.
Another Beat in Fiscal Q1 2024
On June 7, 2024, J. Jill reported its fiscal first quarter 2024 results and beat on the Zacks Consensus by $0.08, or 7%. Earnings were $1.22 versus the Zacks Consensus of $1.14.
J. Jill has put together an impressive earnings surprise track record the last few years. This was the 11th quarterly earnings beat in a row.
Sales rose 7.5% to $161.5 million from $150.2 million in the year ago period.
Comparable sales, which is a key metric in retail, rose 3.1% year-over-year.
The company also has its direct-to-consumer business humming as it represented 47% of total net sales, which was up 11.6% compared to the first quarter of last year.
Gross margin also expanded 80 basis points to 72.9% from 72.1% in the first quarter of fiscal 2023.
Analysts Bullish on F2024 and F2025
J.Jill is bullish. It now expects full year fiscal 2024 sales to grow between 1% and 3%.
The analysts are bullish too. They have been raising their earnings estimates over the past 60 days. That has pushed the Zacks Consensus for fiscal 2024 up to $3.43 from $3.25 just sixty days ago. That is earnings growth of 9.6% over fiscal 2023 as J.Jill made just $3.13 last year.
They are also bullish on fiscal 2025 with analysts expecting another 14.6% earnings growth, or $3.93.
Here's what it looks like on the price and consensus chart.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Reducing Debt and Interest Expense
J. Jill has also made a concerted effort to pay down its outstanding debt. On May 10, 2024, it made a voluntary debt prepayment of $58.2 million.
And on June 24, 2024, J.Jill announced it had executed another voluntary debt principal payment of $27.2 million, which reduced the amount outstanding under the Company's term loan to about $81 million.
In addition to the principal, accrued interest and a 3% voluntary premium were paid, which resulted in a total payment of $28.8 million.
For the June 24 payment, J.Jill used the proceeds from a $31 million primary equity offering completed on June 14, 2024.
Initiating a Dividend
Also on May 10, 2024, the company announced it was initiating a $0.07 per share quarterly dividend. It also said it intends to pay it quarterly, per Board approval, of course.
The dividend is currently yielding 0.8%.
Shares Hit 5-Year Highs in 2024
J.Jill is a small cap company so it's stock is subject to more volatility. But the shares have been rising the last 5 years and hit a new high earlier in 2024.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Year-to-date, shares are up 34%, which is beating the performance of the S&P 500, which is up 17.4% during that same time.
Yet, J.Jill shares are cheap. It trades with a forward P/E of just 9.9 and has a P/S ratio of only 0.6. A P/S ratio under 1.0 usually indicates a company is undervalued. An investor is getting the shares on sale.
For investors looking for a small cap retailer that is on the upswing, J.Jill should be on your short list.