Hot Topic Inc. said that its fiscal fourth-quarter profit fell sharply on a 10 percent decline in sales. It also forecast a loss in its current first quarter.
After the Wednesday markets closed, the City of Industry teen retailer, reported net income of $8 million (18 cents a share), for the quarter ended Jan. 30, compared with $14.2 million (32 cents) a year earlier. Sales fell 10 percent to $214 million.
The results include 2 cents per share expense charge related to its online music site ShockHound. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters on average were expecting adjusted per-share net income of 18 cents on revenue of more than $214 million.
For the first quarter, the company, which specializes in Goth-inspired apparel and in the past benefitted from tie-ins to the “Twilight” teen-vampire franchise, expects to a per-share loss of 2 cents to 5 cents, compared with the average analyst expectation of 2 cents.
Shares closed down 2 cents, or less than 1 percent, to $6.55 on the Nasdaq, and fell nearly 4 percent in after-hours trading.