LOS ANGELES (Mar. 20, 2008)—Guess?, Inc. (GES) seemed to have all of the answers, as it experienced increases across the board during the fourth quarter and full-year ended Feb. 2.

Empower by Guess by Marciano

Net earnings jumped 20.3 percent in the fourth quarter to $55.2 million versus $45.9 million for the prior-year period. Although the fourth quarter of 2006 included an additional week, non-operating asset gains, low tax rate and debt retirement costs, the current quarter experienced a higher tax rate of 42.2 percent versus 36.5 percent.

“We are very pleased with our strong financial performance this quarter, especially considering the current economic environment,” says CEO Paul Marciano in a release. “Our international businesses remained the primary drivers of this growth, with Europe and Asia representing about two-thirds of the revenue increase and half of the operating profit growth in the quarter. These results marked our 18th consecutive quarter of earnings growth. We had another outstanding quarter, which capped off yet another record-setting year in which we increased revenues by 40 percent and net earnings by 42 percent. In fiscal 2008, our international businesses accounted for more than two-thirds of our operating earnings, further solidifying our position as a true global fashion brand. Our focus remains the globalization of our brand.”

Net revenue for the fourth quarter rose 29.9 percent to $514.6 million compared to $396.2 generated during the previous time period. North American retail stores brought in $270.9 million in revenue, a 10.4-percent increase over the year-ago quarter’s $245.3 million. The European segment generated $152.2 million in revenue, a 75.4-percent improvement over the prior quarter’s $86.8 million. The licensing segment experienced growth of 22.4 percent, from $21.6 million to $26.5 million.

Record earnings of $186.5 million were reported for the full year of fiscal 2008, a 42.2-percent jump over the previous year’s $131.2 million. Net revenue rose 39.7 percent to $1.75 billion compared to $1.25 billion brought in during the comparable time period. North American retail stores experienced generated $862.4 million in revenue in 2008, demonstrating 16.4 percent growth when compared to the previous year’s $741.1 million. The revenue from the European segment was up 84.5 percent and the licensing segment’s revenues rose 35.1 percent.

The company expects consolidated net revenues to reach $445 million to $460 million for the first quarter ending May 3. For the 2009 fiscal year, Guess anticipates consolidated net revenues will hit $1.97 billion o $2.45 billion. The board of directors approved a stock repurchase program, in which the company can buy back up to $200 million of its common stock. A quarterly cash dividend of $0.08 will be paid to all shareholders as of April 2 on April 18.

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