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Profiles of 12 US clothing firms are provided. These firms are VF, Levi Strauss, Kellwood, Fruit of the Loom, Jones Apparel, Hartmarx, Liz Claiborne, Phillips-Van Heusen, Oxford Industries, Russell, Warnaco and Sara Lee.

Most apparel manufacturers had a disappointing holiday selling season in 1998 and the weak retail environment was exaerbated by warm weather in the US at the same time. The apparel industry is also quite competitive, but electronic commerce, brand leveraging, and improved efficiency may help the industry in the future. These stocks are not timely during the 1st qtr of 1999 and investors should select only the most timely of the larger capitalized companies.

Marketing in the apparel industry are planned around the seasonality of wardrobes, and the Fall 1998 weather is having an effect on sales. However, earnings have increased due to improved efficiency, branding, and advertising. Apparel is a slow-growth industry although it is in the upper half of timeliness rankings and investors need to show caution in their selections.

Apparel firms will continue to do poorly during the holidays 1994. Low inventories should help these companies operate at a more profitable level, because fewer marked down items will be necessary. However, private label firms are competing against foreign firms with lower-priced items, and national brand firms are losing sales to private label manufacturers. As interest rates continue to rise, however, consumers will begin to buy more soft goods, rather than large ticket items with more interest involved.

The apparel industry has experienced weakness during the Jan-Jun 1994 period and is expected to continue to lag the general market through Aug 1995. However, prospects should brighten for the fall and holiday selling seasons in 1994 as consumers increasingly turn to nondurable goods. Another factor that should benefit the industry is the fact that retail apparel businesses have kept their inventories lean. Additionally, manufacturers of low- to middle-end apparel products should perform better than higher-end manufacturers. Few investments in this industry appear to offer strong prospects for capital gains.

Clothing industry stocks have been dropping relative to other industries, partly because of poor weather, high inventory and low sales. While the North American Free Trade Agreement could help turn the situation around soon, the industry will remain volatile. Potential investors should choose stocks with Predictability Ratings of 65-100, Financial Strength ratings of B plus or higher and average Safety ranks of 3 or higher.

The apparel industry stocks are not timely for investors to buy in Nov 1993, due to the weak economy and its effect on consumer buying habits. The North American Free Trade Agreement will help the industry grow during the 1990s as tariffs and quotas are gradually eliminated between Canada, Mexico and the US. Larger apparel firms will fare better than smaller companies because they have the money to invest in the technology that enables them to offer quick response automatic refill strategy.

NEW YORK -- Margin pressure and tough year-ago comparisons slashed Russell Corp.'s third-quarter earnings by more than a fifth, but the firm did easily surpass the Wall Street forecast. For [...]

ATLANTA -- Russell Corp.'s acquisitions are starting to pay off. In the second quarter ended July 6, the sportswear and sporting goods firm reported net income of $6.7 million, or [...]

NEW YORK -- Unifi Inc. has entered into agreements with Tuntex (Thailand) Public Co. Ltd., a major Thai polyester fiber producer, that will give Unifi a foothold in Asia. Under [...]

ALEXANDER CITY, Ala. -- Russell Corp. topped analysts' earnings expectations in the first quarter, but was unable to match year-ago earnings before restructuring charges. Net income for the quarter ended [...]

The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association has projected a weak year for sports apparel in 2002, but manufacturers are working hard to upset that prognosis. Strong activewear brands are going forward [...]

NEW YORK -- Russell Corp. said it will hit Wall Street's fourth-quarter profit targets, while restructuring moves should produce $50 million in additional annual cost savings by 2003. For the [...]

RUSSELL CUTBACKS: Atlanta-based Russell Corp. cut its second-quarter earnings expectations in half, to 12 to 16 cents a share, and said it expected sales to decline 4 to 6 percent [...]

NEW YORK -- Rebounding activewear sales helped Russell Corp. post increases in sales and earnings for both the fourth quarter and year. For the fourth quarter ended Dec. 30, the [...]

NEW YORK -- Activewear maker Russell Corp. said it is comfortable with the current range of analysts' expectations for the current fiscal year and initial projections for 2001. The Atlanta-based [...]

NEW YORK -- Matching Wall Street's third-quarter earning's estimates of 78 cents a share, Russell Corp. revealed plans to take an additional $25 million in restructuring charges for its European [...]

NEW YORK -- Smarting from a disappointing year, R. Brad Martin, chairman and CEO of Saks Incorporated, missed his first annual bonus since 1991. Martin's total compensation tumbled 80.6 percent [...]

NEW YORK -- Finishing the second year of a major strategic reorganization and armed with a growing stable of brands, Russell Corp. reported gains in income and sales in its [...]

Fruit of the Loom in Bankruptcy; Tultex to Liquidate Pressures in the basic apparel market have taken a roll on some of the U.S. apparel industry's largest players in recent [...]

NEW YORK -- Russell Corp. said its program to turn itself into a global consumer marketing company is already paying dividends. The Atlanta-based activewear firm earned $1.4 million, or 4 [...]

NEW YORK -- Russell Corp. said its program to turn itself into a global consumer marketing company is already paying dividends. The Atlanta activewear firm earned $1.4 million, or 4 [...]

ATLANTA -- Even the best performing textile and apparel companies may find their stock undervalued on Wall Street just by their association in an industry where many companies are struggling, [...]

ROCKY HILL, Conn. -- Joseph R. Ettore, president and CEO of Ames Department Stores, has assumed the additional role of chairman of the board. He replaces Paul M. Buxbaum, who [...]

ATLANTA -- Dragged down by restructuring charges, second-quarter earnings for Russell Corp. plunged 78 percent to $1.4 million, or 4 cents a diluted share, from $6.6 million, or 18 cents, [...]

ATLANTA -- Because of after-tax charges related to restructuring, Russell Corp. reported a sharp decline in net income in the second quarter to $1.4 million, or 4 cents a share, [...]

The performance of US textile mill in the 1st qtr of 1995 varied. Companies such as Fruit of the Loom and Russell Corp posted rising sales of 21% and 7%, respectively, but both companies experienced decreased earnings. On the other hand, Springs Industries a 70% increase in net profits, but realized reduced net sales. The results of Mohawk Industries and Unifi are also detailed.

Flapdoodles' Parent Goes Public Marisa Christina, Inc., which markets the Flapdoodles brand of children's wear, is going public. The Rye, New York-based company, with $66 million in sales last year, [...]