L Brands Posts Mixed Q4 Results, Offers Upbeat Earnings Guidance

Enjoying what appears to be a new lease on life after years of troubles, L Brands (NYSE: LB), parent company of Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works, reported a profitable fourth quarter today. While the company's revenue missed the Wall Street consensus estimate of $4.95 billion reported by Zacks Equity Research, registering $4.82 billion in revenue and thus delivering a negative 2.6% surprise, net sales still rose 2.3% year over year from $4.71 billion. Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) skyrocketed 61% year over year from $1.88 to $3.03 for the quarter, and also marginally beat analyst forecasts with a 1.3% positive surprise.