<\/p>\n
Shoppers’ reluctance to splurge on high-priced jewelry resulted in Tiffany & Co. reporting a 75 percent decline in its fiscal fourth-quarter profit.<\/p>\n
Still, enough people bought lower-priced items over the holidays that its earnings beat analysts’ forecasts. <\/p>\n
Tiffany said its profit dropped to $31.1 million for the three months ended Jan. 31 from $127.4 million the year before. Sales dropped 20 percent to $841.2 million.<\/p>\n
Although competition among jewelers remains intense, Tiffany still plans to maintain its prices to protect its cachet — symbolized by its famous blue box.<\/p>\n
Michael J. Kowalski, chairman and chief executive. 2008 compensation: $7.3 million.<\/p>\n
Employees: 9,000.<\/p>\n
52-week stock high\/low: $49.98\/$16.70.<\/p>\n
Debt\/capital percentage (lower is better): 17.3 percent; industry: 20.1 percent.<\/p>\n
Revenue growth: -2.7 percent; industry: 0.1 percent.<\/p>\n
Net margin (higher is better): 3.7 percent; industry: 0.7 percent.<\/p>\n
Return on equity: 14 percent; industry, 8 percent.<\/p>\n
Source: www.courier-journal.com\/article<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Shoppers’ reluctance to splurge on high-priced jewelry resulted in Tiffany & Co. reporting a 75 percent decline in its fiscal fourth-quarter profit. Still, enough people bought lower-priced items over the holidays that its earnings beat analysts’ forecasts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[411],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n