Francesca's Investors Cheer Company's 'Strong' Holiday Sales, Increased Guidance

Shares of Francesca's Holdings Corp (NASDAQ: FRAN) were trading higher by more than 1.5 percent Thursday morning after the company raised its fourth quarter guidance based on "strong" holiday sales.

Francesca's Holdings increased its fourth quarter earnings per share guidance to a range of $0.32 to $0.34 on sales of $130 million to $133 million from a prior range of $0.31 to $0.33 on sales of $127 million to $130 million.

Wall Street analysts were previously expecting Francesca's Holdings to earn $0.32 per share on revenue of $129 million.

"We saw ongoing momentum in our business throughout the holiday selling season as our customers responded favorably to the fresh, innovative and on-target merchandise offerings in all channels; including, main-line boutiques, outlets and our direct-to-consumer business," Mike Barnes, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer commented. "I believe these results are a direct function of the merchandise enhancements, the disciplined inventory management, and elevated boutique experience. As we enter fiscal 2016, we believe we are well-positioned to deliver healthy sales and earnings growth as we continue to improve and execute the ‘francesca's Vision 2020' strategic plan. The entire management team is very excited about the opportunities ahead of us."