The Men’s Wearhouse, Inc. (MW), Stein Mart, Inc. (SMRT): This CEO Is Back Permanently And That’s Great News

In the first quarter of this year, earnings per share increased 13%. Comparable- store sales increased 2%. Overall net sales increased 7% to $6.2 billion. The company repurchased $300 million in stock and plans to buyback a total of $1.3 billion to $1.4 billion in stock this year. The company increased the dividend 26% and this year marked the 17^th consecutive year of dividend increases.

In looking forward, the company sees the potential to increase its store base by 50%. With 3,000 stores today, the company’s goal is to increase that number to 4,500.

Where I think the real potential for TJX is in Europe. TJX is the only major off-price retailer in Europe. The reality is that the off-price model works in practically any country and TJX has successfully implemented its strategy in six countries.

The other opportunity for TJS is in e-commerce. The company’s T.J. Maxx brand does not have an e-commerce platform. The website is set to be launched later this year. This is a tremendous opportunity for TJX and can really propel growth going forward.

Foolish assessment

I really like these retailers, but my favorite is Stein Mart. It is the smallest of the three and has the most growth potential. CEO Jay Stein knows his business better than anyone and shareholders are fortunate to have him back as CEO. I look for continued growth in Stein Mart.

The article This CEO Is Back Permanently And That’s Great News originally appeared on Fool.com.

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