The WWD Global Stock Tracker rose 0.4 percent to 109.08, the second highest close in its six-month-plus history, as guidance revisions clearly separated winners from losers.
Lululemon Athletica Inc. scored the biggest increase among tracker stocks, rising 6.8 percent to $62.59 after reporting a 6 to 7 percent increase in comparable sales for the fourth quarter and lifting its quarterly earnings guidance to a range of between 71 and 73 cents a diluted share, up from earlier guidance of 65 to 69 cents and projecting revenues of $595 million to $600 million from earlier projections of $570 million to $585 million.
Conversely, the largest decline among tracker stocks — a 14 percent tumble to $89.01 — came from Tiffany & Co. after it reported a 1 percent drop in sales for the holiday period, to $1.02 billion, resulting in a cut in profit guidance to between $4.15 and $4.20 for the fiscal year from earlier projections of between $4.20 and $4.30.
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Safilo Group SpA registered the second strongest gain, rising 5.8 percent to 11.07 euros, or $13.11 at current exchange, followed by Oxford Industries Inc., up 4.6 percent to $56.71.
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LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton scored the fourth highest gain, advancing 3.3 percent to 131.95 euros, or $156.25, while Express Inc. shares picked up 3.2 percent to $14.57.
Like Lululemon, Express Inc. saw shares move up on elevated guidance. Business strengthened in late December and the first week in January, prompting the company to lift fourth-quarter earnings expectations to a range of between 43 and 46 cents, versus earlier estimates of 38 to 45 cents, as comparable sales are now expected to fall 3 to 4 percent in the quarter, better than earlier estimates of a mid- to high-single-digit contraction.
Among stocks pulling back, American Apparel Inc. shares were off 9.1 percent to 80 cents while Pandora A/S trended down 3.3 percent to close at 467.10 Danish kroner, or $74.31. Li Ning Co. was off 3.1 percent to 3.08 Hong Kong dollars, or 40 cents, while The Bon-Ton Stores Inc. shed 3 percent to close at $6.70.
Major indices fell along with the price of crude oil to open the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was off 0.5 percent to 17,640.84, the S&P 500 off 0.8 percent to 2,028.26 and the S&P 500 Retailing Industry Group off 1 percent to 1,002.01.
The 109.08 resting point for the tracker was below only its 109.78 close on Jan. 8.