Analysts on average predict that DSW will post per-share earnings that are 16.3% higher than a year ago to $0.49 for the three months that ended in January. That EPS estimate is a penny less than it was 60 days ago. But note that per-share earnings topped consensus estimates by as much as 12 cents in the previous three quarters. Fourth-quarter revenue is expected to total $511.2 million, which would be up from $468.5 million in the same period of last year. Looking back to the third quarter, the specialty retailer said its profit rose 51.1% to $53.7 million, or $0.75 cents a share, from the year earlier, exceeding analyst expectations. Revenue rose 8.5% to $530.7 million. The company attributed strong results to higher sales of women's footwear and growth in the men's and accessories segments. DSW also lifted its full-year EPS outlook. For the full year, the consensus forecast calls for $2.98 per share earnings on revenue of $2.0 billion. That compares to $2.40 per share and $1.8 billion last year. Note that the EPS estimate is a penny less than it was 60 days ago, but still in the range of $2.96 and $2.99 that DSW offered recently.

DSW has a return on equity of 24.9% and a long-term earnings per share growth forecast of 12.5%. Sales increased 9.8% over the past five years. The P/E ratio is less than the industry average and the operating margin is higher than the industry average. DSW has a dividend rate of 1.1%. Eight of nine analysts polled who follow the stock recommend buying it. Their mean price target is more than 7% higher than the current share price. The share price is more than 25% higher than at the beginning of the year, as well as up more than 45% from a year ago. It has been above the 50-day and 200-day moving averages since mid January. Shares reached a multiyear high of $57.06 on Leap Day. Over the past six months, the stock outperformed the broader markets, but it has underperformed the competitors mentioned above.