JWN Preview: Holiday Outlook Hoopla By Gary Dvorchak About this article: Kohl's may have reported good numbers earlier today, but Wal-Mart and Macy's are setting an early downbeat tone for retailers, with "conservative" guidance for the Christmas season. Nordstrom has the opportunity to turn the tide when it reports earnings after the close tonight. The Street is looking for EPS of 39 cents on $1.867 billion in sales. Naturally, the actual results are rarely a surprise since retailers all report monthly comps, and for Nordstrom, the October numbers were quite strong: The company saw total sales up 14.8%, with comps up 6.5%. Of course, we are anniversarying the "shock" period last year, so comps will be relatively easy, but those growth rates were impressive, nonetheless. The company could show a meaningful beat on the earnings line, but, of course, its holiday outlook will be the center of attention. On the call, investors will focus... Or, call us at 1-866-321-TSCM (8726) Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. ET. Outside the U.S. and in Canada, call 1-212-321-5200.

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