Barnes & Noble SoftShoes Guidance

Barnes and Noble (BKS) issued an obtuse guidance adjustment indicating that as a result of disappointing Christmas sales and January sales trends they are reducing Q4guidance and with that they are reducing full year guidance. January results were available to Jan 5 and the guidance adjustment was issued before market open on Jan 10. Therefore management is spooked quite badly by the miscue.

The change in guidance offered precious little explanation other than sales were disappointing sorry it did not work out. Management did manage to make the comment that with this latest downward revised guidance they are still better than the initial guidance that they provided at the start of the year.

Its very hard to pick up this book and read it. When things do not work out to this extent you need to issued a more comprehensive explanation rather than hide behind an exceptionally short press release