Buckle Inc. (BKE) is fresh off the heels of very solid fourth-quarter results, flexing some resilience and earnings strength in the face of a very challenging consumer environment.

Company Description

The Buckle, Inc. is a retailer of casual apparel, footwear and accessories for both men and woman in the United States. The company was founded in 1948, changed its name to The Buckle and has a market cap of $1.22 billion.

Fourth-Quarter Results

The retail sector continues to suffer from the weak consumer environment, but that didn’t prevent The Buckle from producing solid fourth-quarter results, reported on March 11.

Sales came in at $251.5 million, a 21.5% increase from last year. Income was up 18.2% from last year to $34.3 million, producing earnings of 75 cents per share, 2 cents ahead of the consensus estimate.

Comparable Store Sales

The company also noted that its same-store sales, a key metric in the retail sector, were up 20.6%.

Share Repurchase

During the quarter, The Buckle repurchased 557,000 shares of its common stock, part of two share repurchase programs authorizing a total of 1,750,000 shares.

Estimates

The earnings picture looks strong for The Buckle, with the current-year estimate standing at $2.22 per share, a 37% earnings growth projection. The next-year estimate is up to $2.37, up 6 cents in the last 7 days.

The Chart

Shares of BKE have posted an impressive performance n 2009, rallying from a low point just above $19 to a recent high at $26.50, clearing some short-term resistance just above $25. Take a look at the chart below.

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