Restoration Hardware Inc

Restoration Hardware Inc., a home-improvement and furnishings retailer, said it swung to a loss in the fiscal second quarter, hurt by weak sales and more promotional selling as housing market problems persist. For the quarter that ended Aug. 4, the company lost $7.9 million, or 20 cents a share, versus a year-ago profit of $236,000, or a penny a share. Revenue rose nearly 3% to $183.8 million.

Restoration Hardware Inc. shares fell 20% after NationsBanc Montgomery Securities Inc. analyst Shelly Hale said the home furnishings retailer's stock is overvalued compared with peers such as Pier 1 Imports Inc. Shares of Corte Madera-based Restoration fell $5.19 to close at $20.63 on Nasdaq. Earlier, the shares fell as low as $19.88. Before the drop, Restoration shares had risen 36% since they were first sold to the public in June at $19.

Restoration Hardware Inc. on Friday widened its loss outlook for the fiscal third quarter, citing a new sales program that shifted furniture revenue into the fourth quarter. The company also lowered its expectations for same-store sales. The company, based in Corte Madera in the Bay Area, foresees a loss of 10 cents to 12 cents a share for the period ending Oct. 29, compared with its forecast in August of a loss of 3 cents to 5 cents a share.

A former Restoration Hardware Inc. vice president agreed to settle U.S. regulatory allegations that he leaked inside information on a takeover bid to two friends while urging them to limit trades to avoid detection. Ciriaco "Eric" Rivor's tips were passed to one friend's father, who ignored the advice and amassed 248,600 shares in the home-furnishing chain before the deal was unveiled in November, the Securities and Exchange Commission said in a lawsuit filed in federal court in San Francisco.

Hot Topic Inc., the Industry-based retailer whose offerings include rock band T-shirts and body-piercing jewelry, said profit jumped 37% in the second quarter to $4.28 million, or 19 cents a share, matching analyst forecasts. The company said sales climbed 39% to $71.9 million, while sales at stores open at least a year grew 2.4%. Chief Executive Betsy McLaughlin said Hot Topic continues "to see favorable reactions to [its] back-to-school merchandise assortment in August."

Bear Stearns Cos., the No. 6 securities firm, said net income rose 20% in its fiscal first quarter, as rising investment banking fees offset a slump in bond trading. The 77-year-old firm earned $278.2 million, or $1.89 a share, in the three months ending Feb. 25, up from $230.7 million, or $1.45 per share. The average forecast of five analysts surveyed by First Call Corp. was $1.52 a share. Investment banking revenue rose 31% to $308.2 million. . . .

Sears Holdings Corp. abruptly announced the departure of President and Chief Executive Aylwin B. Lewis on Monday, leaving a management void at the top of the department store chain controlled by Chairman Edward S. Lampert. The change comes as the company tries a high-stakes restructuring to reconnect with customers and reinvigorate slumping sales. Lewis, 52, who also resigned from the board, was an executive at fast-food chain Yum Brands Inc.

Tiffany & Co. issued a disappointing profit forecast Friday and reported lower U.S. same-store sales over the holidays, signaling that shaky consumer spending was taking a toll on the luxury sector. The jewelry retailer, whose shares tumbled 11%, said it was analyzing sales and earnings expectations for its fiscal year beginning next month, given lackluster demand at its U.S. stores and consumer wariness. "We believe a recent pullback in U.S.

The array of services being proffered to employees has expanded to cover the entire life cycle: Babies: Lactation programs, which offer breast-feeding information and facilities for new mothers to express milk to carry home to their infants, are now available at 6% of large firms, according to a report last year by the Society of Human Resource Management.