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Gap (GPS) Stock Moves -0.52%: What You Should Know

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In the latest trading session, Gap (GPS - Free Report) closed at $22.83, marking a -0.52% move from the previous day. This move was narrower than the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.78%. On the other hand, the Dow registered a loss of 1.29%, and the technology-centric Nasdaq decreased by 0.7%.

The clothing chain's stock has dropped by 11.15% in the past month, falling short of the Retail-Wholesale sector's gain of 1.58% and the S&P 500's gain of 2.14%.

The investment community will be paying close attention to the earnings performance of Gap in its upcoming release. It is anticipated that the company will report an EPS of $0.41, marking a 20.59% rise compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $3.63 billion, up 2.43% from the year-ago period.

For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates project earnings of $1.74 per share and a revenue of $14.92 billion, demonstrating changes of +21.68% and +0.22%, respectively, from the preceding year.

Investors should also take note of any recent adjustments to analyst estimates for Gap. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the company's business outlook.

Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-team stock moves. To utilize this, we have created the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model that integrates these estimate changes and provides a functional rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, which varies between #1 (Strong Buy) and #5 (Strong Sell), carries an impressive track record of exceeding expectations, confirmed by external audits, with stocks at #1 delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.16% higher. At present, Gap boasts a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

Valuation is also important, so investors should note that Gap has a Forward P/E ratio of 13.2 right now. This represents a discount compared to its industry's average Forward P/E of 14.98.

It's also important to note that GPS currently trades at a PEG ratio of 3.91. Comparable to the widely accepted P/E ratio, the PEG ratio also accounts for the company's projected earnings growth. The Retail - Apparel and Shoes industry had an average PEG ratio of 2.1 as trading concluded yesterday.

The Retail - Apparel and Shoes industry is part of the Retail-Wholesale sector. With its current Zacks Industry Rank of 148, this industry ranks in the bottom 42% of all industries, numbering over 250.

The Zacks Industry Rank is ordered from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

To follow GPS in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Zacks.com.


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