KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia closed almost flat on Tuesday as buying interest rotated away from index heavyweights towards smaller-cap construction stocks, with sentiment affected by geopolitical uncertainty, said an analyst. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 0.39 of a point to 1,714.40 from Monday’s close of 1,714.79. The benchmark index opened 1.65 points lower at 1,713.14 and moved between 1,710.44 and 1,714.50 throughout the trading session. The broader market was almost evenly balanced, with decliners leading gainers 548 to 546, while 598 counters were unchanged, 1,107 were untraded and 25 were suspended. Turnover expanded to 4.13 billion units valued at RM3.14 billion from 3.60 billion units valued at RM2.45 billion on Monday.
Shares of Signet Jewelers (SIG.US), the world's largest diamond jewelry retailer and parent company of brands like Zales and Blue Nile, fell over 11% intraday Thursday after reporting disappointing third-quarter results.
Key Q3 Highlights:
- Total Sales: $1.35 billion, missing analysts' forecast of $1.37 billion.
- Adjusted Earnings: 24 cents per share, below the 32 cents consensus estimate.
- Net Sales Decline: Down 3.1% year-over-year.
- Same-Store Sales: Dropped 0.7%.
Fiscal 2025 Outlook:
- Updated revenue projections: $6.74 billion to $6.81 billion, narrowing earlier guidance of $6.66 billion to $7.02 billion.
- Fourth-quarter sales forecast: $2.38 billion to $2.46 billion, slightly below Wall Street's expectation of $2.45 billion.
Challenges:
- Integration Issues: Persistent challenges in merging Blue Nile and James Allen brands, including technical issues on their websites, negatively impacted e-commerce sales.
- Leadership Transition Costs: Newly appointed CEO J.K. Symancyk, who succeeded Gina Drosos in October, is navigating integration and strategic adjustments.
Market Reaction:
- Signet's stock is down 20% year-to-date and reached its lowest level since September.
- Competitor Birks Group (BGI.US) saw a 2.84% rise as of midday trading Thursday, signaling stronger investor confidence in its performance.
Company Focus:
Signet highlighted a recovery in engagement-ring sales and new fashion merchandise as areas of growth, despite challenges in its fiscal 2024. The retailer aims to resolve technical and integration issues to stabilize its performance moving forward.
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