Tiffany & Co. Stock Buy Recommendation Reiterated (TIF)

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Tiffany (NYSE:TIF) has been reiterated by TheStreet Ratings as a buy with a ratings score of B . The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, notable return on equity, growth in earnings per share, increase in net income and expanding profit margins. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company shows weak operating cash flow.

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Highlights from the ratings report include:

• TIF's revenue growth trails the industry average of 13.2%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues slightly increased by 1.6%. This growth in revenue appears to have trickled down to the company's bottom line, improving the earnings per share.
• The return on equity has improved slightly when compared to the same quarter one year prior. This can be construed as a modest strength in the organization. Compared to other companies in the Specialty Retail industry and the overall market, TIFFANY & CO's return on equity exceeds that of both the industry average and the S&P 500.
• TIFFANY & CO's earnings per share improvement from the most recent quarter was slightly positive. The company has demonstrated a pattern of positive earnings per share growth over the past two years. We feel that this trend should continue. During the past fiscal year, TIFFANY & CO increased its bottom line by earning $3.41 versus $2.87 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($3.60 versus $3.41).
• The net income growth from the same quarter one year ago has exceeded that of the S&P 500, but is less than that of the Specialty Retail industry average. The net income increased by 2.0% when compared to the same quarter one year prior, going from $90.04 million to $91.80 million.
• The gross profit margin for TIFFANY & CO is rather high; currently it is at 60.80%. Regardless of TIF's high profit margin, it has managed to decrease from the same period last year. Despite the mixed results of the gross profit margin, TIF's net profit margin of 10.40% compares favorably to the industry average.

Tiffany & Co., through its subsidiaries, engages in the design, manufacture, and retail of fine jewelry worldwide. Tiffany has a market cap of $8.27 billion and is part of the services sector and specialty retail industry. The company has a P/E ratio of 19, above the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are down 1.4% year to date as of the close of trading on Tuesday.

You can view the full Tiffany Ratings Report or get investment ideas from our investment research center.

--Written by a member of TheStreet Ratings Staff.

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