Urban Outfitters’ Stock Rises After Earnings Beat

Urban Outfitters Inc. is on the rise — especially online. The teen retailer, which includes the Anthropologie Group, Free People and a food and beverage business, reported fourth-quarter earnings that topped analyst expectations Tuesday afternoon. Urban Outfitters’ stock, which closed up 0.5 percent to $30.35 in regular trading session, advanced an additional 2 percent after-hours. “The fourth quarter closed what was an incredibly successful year for [Urban] and all of our brands,” Richard Haynes, chief executive officer of Urban Outfitters, said in a press release. Net income for the three months ending January 31 increased to $86.4 million from only $1.3 million a year earlier. Total company sales also rose 3.7 percent to $1.13 billion from $1.08 billion. By brand, in the retail segment, Free People and Urban had the strongest sales gains, both jumping 4 percent, with Anthropologie up 2 percent. The biggest growth driver was the company’s digital business, which had double-digit growth and pushed the comparable retail segment sales up 3 percent. The gains were offset by negative same-store sales in brick-and-mortar locations. Meanwhile, sales in the wholesale channel rose 3 percent during the quarter.  Some investor worries surfaced after sales at all three brands slowed in January, compared with

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