February 28, 2016 NYSE: JWN NORDSTROM INC BUY A+ A A- HOLD B+ B Annual Dividend Rate $1.48 B- C+ C Annual Dividend Yield 2.82% SELL C- D+ D Beta 0.84 Sector: Consumer Goods & Svcs JWN BUSINESS DESCRIPTION Nordstrom, Inc., a fashion specialty retailer, offers apparel, shoes, cosmetics, and accessories for men, women, and children in the United States and Canada. It operates through two segments, Retail and Credit. STOCK PERFORMANCE (%) 3 Mo. Price Change -9.28 Weekly Price: (US$) D- E+ E E- F Market Capitalization $9.1 Billion HOLD 52-Week Range $44.49-$83.16 Sub-Industry: Department Stores SMA (50) RATING SINCE 12/31/2015 Price as of 2/25/2016 $52.43 Source: S&P SMA (100) 1 Year 2 Years 85 80 75 70 65 1 Yr. -35.43 3 Yr (Ann) -0.17 60 55 GROWTH (%) Last Qtr 3.71 -29.42 -24.25 12 Mo. 6.89 -16.67 -14.79 3 Yr CAGR 5.96 -6.54 -3.80 RETURN ON EQUITY (%) JWN Q4 2015 68.88 Q4 2014 29.50 Q4 2013 35.28 Ind Avg 22.76 21.86 25.77 S&P 500 12.28 14.59 13.97 Revenues Net Income EPS 50 45 Rating History BUY HOLD Volume in Millions 50 25 2014 2015 2016 0 COMPUSTAT for Price and Volume, TheStreet Ratings, Inc. for Rating History P/E COMPARISON RECOMMENDATION We rate NORDSTROM INC (JWN) a HOLD. The primary factors that have impacted our rating are mixed some indicating strength, some showing weaknesses, with little evidence to justify the expectation of either a positive or negative performance for this stock relative to most other stocks. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, notable return on equity and good cash flow from operations. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including deteriorating net income, generally higher debt management risk and a generally disappointing performance in the stock itself. 16.54 24.33 21.53 JWN Ind Avg S&P 500 HIGHLIGHTS Despite its growing revenue, the company underperformed as compared with the industry average of 5.7%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues slightly increased by 3.7%. This growth in revenue does not appear to have trickled down to the company's bottom line, displayed by a decline in earnings per share. EPS ANALYSIS¹ ($) 2013 2014 Q4 1.00 Q2 1.09 Q1 0.66 Q4 1.32 Q3 0.73 Q2 0.95 Q1 0.72 Q4 1.37 Q3 0.69 Q2 0.93 Q1 0.73 Q3 0.42 The company's current return on equity greatly increased when compared to its ROE from the same quarter one year prior. This is a signal of significant strength within the corporation. Compared to other companies in the Multiline Retail industry and the overall market, NORDSTROM INC's return on equity significantly exceeds that of both the industry average and the S&P 500. 2015 NA = not available NM = not meaningful 1 Compustat fiscal year convention is used for all fundamental data items. Net operating cash flow has remained constant at $706.00 million with no significant change when compared to the same quarter last year. Along with maintaining stable cash flow from operations, the firm exceeded the industry average cash flow growth rate of -14.93%. The company, on the basis of change in net income from the same quarter one year ago, has underperformed when compared to that of the S&P 500 and greatly underperformed compared to the Multiline Retail industry average. The net income has significantly decreased by 29.4% when compared to the same quarter one year ago, falling from $255.00 million to $180.00 million. The debt-to-equity ratio is very high at 3.22 and currently higher than the industry average, implying increased risk associated with the management of debt levels within the company. Along with this, the company manages to maintain a quick ratio of 0.27, which clearly demonstrates the inability to cover short-term cash needs. This report is for information purposes only and should not be considered a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Neither TheStreet Ratings nor any other party guarantees its accuracy or makes warranties regarding results from its usage. Redistribution is prohibited without the express written consent of TheStreet Ratings. Copyright(c) 2006-2015. All rights reserved. Report Date: February 28, 2016 PAGE 1 February 28, 2016 NYSE: JWN NORDSTROM INC Sector: Consumer Goods & Svcs Department Stores Source: S&P Annual Dividend Rate $1.48 Annual Dividend Yield 2.82% PEER GROUP ANALYSIS Market Capitalization $9.1 Billion 52-Week Range $44.49-$83.16 Price as of 2/25/2016 $52.43 INDUSTRY ANALYSIS The multiline retail industry includes very well-known general merchandise and department stores such as Target (TGT), Dollar General (DG), Macy’s (M), Kohl’s (KSS), Nordstrom (JWN), Dollar Tree (DLTR), Family Dollar Stores (FDO), Sears Holdings (SHLD), and J.C. Penney (JCP). REVENUE GROWTH AND EBITDA MARGIN* 300% SRSC V FA AB OR The variety of products offered by multiline retail companies is very diverse. These include but are not limited to household goods, pharmaceutical drugs, medical supplies, beauty, baby-care, portrait photography, and cleaning supplies. Also included are music, movies, books, computer software, sporting goods, and toys, electronics, high fashion to trendy apparel for men and women of all ages from newborn to senior citizen plus accessories like jewelry and shoes. LE These multiline retailers compete with grocery stores by supplying food for people and pets on a more limited range of dry grocery items as well as dairy, frozen foods, beverages, candies, snacks, deli, bakery, meat, and fruit. DLTR R VO FA BONT LE AB -50% UN Revenue Growth (TTM) Beta 0.84 SHLD -6% FRED BIG JCP DDSJWN M KSS 14% Other product offerings may include furniture, lighting, kitchenware, small appliances, home decor, bedding, bathroom items, home improvement, and automotive parts & repair. Unlike online-only retailers, multiline retail shoppers can browse shelves full of products that they can touch and smell including seasonal merchandise. Companies sell their products under private-label and exclusively-licensed brands. EBITDA Margin (TTM) Companies with higher EBITDA margins and revenue growth rates are outperforming companies with lower EBITDA margins and revenue growth rates. Companies for this scatter plot have a market capitalization between $34.4 Million and $19.3 Billion. Companies with NA or NM values do not appear. *EBITDA – Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization. REVENUE GROWTH AND EARNINGS YIELD 300% SRSC V FA AB OR BONT LE AB -50% R VO FA Revenue Growth (TTM) LE UN DLTR -120% JCP SHLD FRED JWN BIG DDS KSS M Multiline retail companies also profit from the extension of credit to their customers with branded credit cards. Companies in this industry are judged based on the metric of same-store sales, a measurement that shows if stores open for more than one year are increasing top line revenue or shrinking. PEER GROUP: Multiline Retail Ticker JWN KSS FRED BONT SRSC DDS JCP BIG DLTR SHLD M Company Name NORDSTROM INC KOHL'S CORP FREDS INC BON-TON STORES INC SEARS CANADA INC DILLARDS INC PENNEY (J C) CO BIG LOTS INC DOLLAR TREE INC SEARS HOLDINGS CORP MACY'S INC Recent Price ($) 52.43 46.67 14.74 1.89 2.75 82.22 8.36 39.84 82.30 17.52 43.37 Market Cap ($M) 9,097 8,859 550 34 280 2,689 2,558 1,974 19,324 1,869 13,458 Price/ Earnings 16.54 13.33 NM NM NM 11.90 NM 14.87 66.91 NM 13.18 Net Sales TTM ($M) 14,437.00 19,204.00 2,100.55 2,802.61 3,230.60 6,722.48 12,522.00 5,199.96 12,608.70 25,146.00 27,079.00 Net Income TTM ($M) 600.00 673.00 -11.62 -35.89 -222.40 269.27 -501.00 142.77 259.90 -1,129.00 1,072.00 The peer group comparison is based on Major Department Stores companies of comparable size. 20% Earnings Yield (TTM) Companies that exhibit both a high earnings yield and high revenue growth are generally more attractive than companies with low revenue growth and low earnings yield. Companies for this scatter plot have revenue growth rates between -19.4% and 287.1%. Companies with NA or NM values do not appear. This report is for information purposes only and should not be considered a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Neither TheStreet Ratings nor any other party guarantees its accuracy or makes warranties regarding results from its usage. Redistribution is prohibited without the express written consent of TheStreet Ratings. Copyright(c) 2006-2015. All rights reserved. Report Date: February 28, 2016 PAGE 2 February 28, 2016 NYSE: JWN NORDSTROM INC Sector: Consumer Goods & Svcs Department Stores Source: S&P Annual Dividend Rate $1.48 Annual Dividend Yield 2.82% COMPANY DESCRIPTION Nordstrom, Inc., a fashion specialty retailer, offers apparel, shoes, cosmetics, and accessories for men, women, and children in the United States and Canada. It operates through two segments, Retail and Credit. The Retail segment offers a selection of brand name and private label merchandise through various channels, including Nordstrom branded full-line stores and online store at Nordstrom.com; Nordstrom Rack stores; Nordstromrack.com and HauteLook; and other retail channels, including Trunk Club showrooms and TrunkClub.com, Jeffrey boutiques, and clearance store that operates under the name Last Chance. The Credit segment operates Nordstrom fsb, a federal savings bank, which provides a private label credit card, two Nordstrom VISA credit cards, and a debit card. Its credit and debit cards feature a shopping-based loyalty program. As of February 11, 2016, the company operated 323 stores in 39 states, including 121 full-line stores in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico; 194 Nordstrom Rack stores; 2 Jeffrey boutiques; and 1 clearance store. Nordstrom, Inc. also sells its products through catalogs. The company was founded in 1901 and is based in Seattle, Washington. NORDSTROM INC 1617 Sixth Avenue Seattle, WA 98101 USA Phone: 206-628-2111 http://www.nordstrom.com Beta 0.84 Market Capitalization $9.1 Billion 52-Week Range $44.49-$83.16 Price as of 2/25/2016 $52.43 STOCK-AT-A-GLANCE Below is a summary of the major fundamental and technical factors we consider when determining our overall recommendation of JWN shares. It is provided in order to give you a deeper understanding of our rating methodology as well as to paint a more complete picture of a stock's strengths and weaknesses. It is important to note, however, that these factors only tell part of the story. To gain an even more comprehensive understanding of our stance on the stock, these factors must be assessed in combination with the stock’s valuation. Please refer to our Valuation section on page 5 for further information. FACTOR SCORE 4.0 Growth out of 5 stars weak Measures the growth of both the company's income statement and cash flow. On this factor, JWN has a growth score better than 70% of the stocks we rate. strong 2.0 Total Return out of 5 stars weak Measures the historical price movement of the stock. The stock performance of this company has beaten 30% of the companies we cover. strong 5.0 Efficiency out of 5 stars weak Measures the strength and historic growth of a company's return on invested capital. The company has generated more income per dollar of capital than 90% of the companies we review. strong 2.0 Price volatility out of 5 stars weak Measures the volatility of the company's stock price historically. The stock is less volatile than 30% of the stocks we monitor. strong 2.0 Solvency out of 5 stars weak Measures the solvency of the company based on several ratios. The company is more solvent than 30% of the companies we analyze. strong 4.0 Income out of 5 stars weak Measures dividend yield and payouts to shareholders. The company's dividend is higher than 70% of the companies we track. strong THESTREET RATINGS RESEARCH METHODOLOGY TheStreet Ratings' stock model projects a stock's total return potential over a 12-month period including both price appreciation and dividends. Our Buy, Hold or Sell ratings designate how we expect these stocks to perform against a general benchmark of the equities market and interest rates. While our model is quantitative, it utilizes both subjective and objective elements. For instance, subjective elements include expected equities market returns, future interest rates, implied industry outlook and forecasted company earnings. Objective elements include volatility of past operating revenues, financial strength, and company cash flows. Our model gauges the relationship between risk and reward in several ways, including: the pricing drawdown as compared to potential profit volatility, i.e.how much one is willing to risk in order to earn profits; the level of acceptable volatility for highly performing stocks; the current valuation as compared to projected earnings growth; and the financial strength of the underlying company as compared to its stock's valuation as compared to projected earnings growth; and the financial strength of the underlying company as compared to its stock's performance. These and many more derived observations are then combined, ranked, weighted, and scenario-tested to create a more complete analysis. The result is a systematic and disciplined method of selecting stocks. This report is for information purposes only and should not be considered a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Neither TheStreet Ratings nor any other party guarantees its accuracy or makes warranties regarding results from its usage. Redistribution is prohibited without the express written consent of TheStreet Ratings. Copyright(c) 2006-2015. All rights reserved. Report Date: February 28, 2016 PAGE 3 February 28, 2016 NYSE: JWN NORDSTROM INC Sector: Consumer Goods & Svcs Department Stores Source: S&P Annual Dividend Rate $1.48 Annual Dividend Yield 2.82% Consensus EPS Estimates² ($) IBES consensus estimates are provided by Thomson Financial 0.46 Q1 FY16 3.21 E 3.55 E 2017(E) 2018(E) Beta 0.84 Market Capitalization $9.1 Billion 52-Week Range $44.49-$83.16 Price as of 2/25/2016 $52.43 FINANCIAL ANALYSIS NORDSTROM INC's gross profit margin for the fourth quarter of its fiscal year 2015 has decreased when compared to the same period a year ago. Even though sales increased, the net income has decreased, representing a decrease to the bottom line. NORDSTROM INC has very weak liquidity. Currently, the Quick Ratio is 0.27 which clearly shows a lack of ability to cover short-term cash needs. The company's liquidity has decreased from the same period last year. At the same time, stockholders' equity ("net worth") has significantly decreased by 64.30% from the same quarter last year. The key liquidity measurements indicate that the company is in a position in which financial difficulties could develop in the near future. STOCKS TO BUY: TheStreet Quant Ratings has identified a handful of stocks that can potentially TRIPLE in the next 12-months. To learn more visit www.TheStreetRatings.com. INCOME STATEMENT Net Sales ($mil) EBITDA ($mil) EBIT ($mil) Net Income ($mil) Q4 FY15 4,193.00 476.00 324.00 180.00 Q4 FY14 4,043.00 597.00 465.00 255.00 Q4 FY15 595.00 7,698.00 2,805.00 871.00 Q4 FY14 827.00 9,245.00 3,131.00 2,440.00 Q4 FY15 39.23% 11.35% 7.73% 1.88 7.79% 68.88% Q4 FY14 41.58% 14.76% 11.50% 1.46 7.78% 29.50% Q4 FY15 1.04 0.76 31.00 10.45 Q4 FY14 1.87 0.56 34.00 13.68 Q4 FY15 174 0.37 1.00 5.02 NA 4,193,538 Q4 FY14 190 0.33 1.32 12.84 NA 2,430,406 BALANCE SHEET Cash & Equiv. ($mil) Total Assets ($mil) Total Debt ($mil) Equity ($mil) PROFITABILITY Gross Profit Margin EBITDA Margin Operating Margin Sales Turnover Return on Assets Return on Equity DEBT Current Ratio Debt/Capital Interest Expense Interest Coverage SHARE DATA Shares outstanding (mil) Div / share EPS Book value / share Institutional Own % Avg Daily Volume 2 Sum of quarterly figures may not match annual estimates due to use of median consensus estimates. This report is for information purposes only and should not be considered a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Neither TheStreet Ratings nor any other party guarantees its accuracy or makes warranties regarding results from its usage. Redistribution is prohibited without the express written consent of TheStreet Ratings. Copyright(c) 2006-2015. All rights reserved. Report Date: February 28, 2016 PAGE 4 February 28, 2016 NYSE: JWN NORDSTROM INC Sector: Consumer Goods & Svcs Department Stores Source: S&P Annual Dividend Rate $1.48 Annual Dividend Yield 2.82% RATINGS HISTORY Our rating for NORDSTROM INC was recently downgraded from Buy to Hold on 12/31/2015. As of 2/25/2016, the stock was trading at a price of $52.43 which is 37.0% below its 52-week high of $83.16 and 17.8% above its 52-week low of $44.49. HOLD: $49.81 BUY: $59.23 2 Year Chart 3 From Buy Buy To Hold Buy (as of 2/25/2016) 32.19% Buy - We believe that this stock has the opportunity to appreciate and produce a total return of more than 10% over the next 12 months. 35.29% Hold - We do not believe this stock offers conclusive evidence to warrant the purchase or sale of shares at this time and that its likelihood of positive total return is roughly in balance with the risk of loss. 32.52% Sell - We believe that this stock is likely to decline by more than 10% over the next 12 months, with the risk involved too great to compensate for any possible returns. Price as of 2/25/2016 $52.43 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 premium 4 5 Price/Sales 1 2 premium 3 4 5 Price to Earnings/Growth 4 5 discount 1 2 3 premium 4 5 discount JWN 9.51 Peers 13.24 • Discount. The PEG ratio is the stock’s P/E divided by the consensus estimate of long-term earnings growth. Faster growth can justify higher price multiples. • JWN trades at a significant discount to its peers. Earnings Growth 1 2 3 4 lower 5 higher JWN -14.79 Peers 4.96 • Lower. Elevated earnings growth rates can lead to capital appreciation and justify higher price-to-earnings ratios. • However, JWN is expected to significantly trail its peers on the basis of its earnings growth rate. Sales Growth discount JWN 0.63 Peers 0.82 • Discount. In the absence of P/E and P/B multiples, the price-to-sales ratio can display the value investors are placing on each dollar of sales. • JWN is trading at a discount to its industry on this measurement. 3 JWN 3.71 Peers 13.15 • Discount. The P/CF ratio, a stock’s price divided by the company's cash flow from operations, is useful for comparing companies with different capital requirements or financing structures. • JWN is trading at a significant discount to its peers. discount JWN 10.44 Peers 4.05 • Premium. A higher price-to-book ratio makes a stock less attractive to investors seeking stocks with lower market values per dollar of equity on the balance sheet. • JWN is trading at a significant premium to its peers. 2 premium discount JWN 14.77 Peers 18.91 • Discount. A lower price-to-projected earnings ratio than its peers can signify a less expensive stock or lower future growth expectations. • JWN is trading at a discount to its peers. Price/Book 1 Price/CashFlow discount premium RATINGS DEFINITIONS & DISTRIBUTION OF THESTREET RATINGS Research Contact: 212-321-5381 Sales Contact: 866-321-8726 2 JWN 16.54 Peers 24.33 • Discount. A lower P/E ratio than its peers can signify a less expensive stock or lower growth expectations. • JWN is trading at a significant discount to its peers. Price/Projected Earnings Price reflects the closing price as of the date listed, if available TheStreet Ratings 14 Wall Street, 15th Floor New York, NY 10005 www.thestreet.com 1 premium $80 52-Week Range $44.49-$83.16 VALUATION HOLD. This stock's P/E ratio indicates a discount compared to an average of 24.33 for the Multiline Retail industry and a discount compared to the S&P 500 average of 21.53. For additional comparison, its price-to-book ratio of 10.44 indicates a significant premium versus the S&P 500 average of 2.56 and a significant premium versus the industry average of 4.05. The current price-to-sales ratio is well below the S&P 500 average and is also below the industry average, indicating a discount. The valuation analysis reveals that, NORDSTROM INC seems to be trading at a discount to investment alternatives within the industry. Price/Earnings 2015 MOST RECENT RATINGS CHANGES Date Price Action 12/31/15 $49.81 Downgrade 2/25/14 $59.23 No Change Market Capitalization $9.1 Billion $100 $60 2014 Beta 0.84 1 2 3 lower 4 5 higher JWN 6.89 Peers 10.14 • Lower. A sales growth rate that trails the industry implies that a company is losing market share. • JWN significantly trails its peers on the basis of sales growth DISCLAIMER: The opinions and information contained herein have been obtained or derived from sources believed to be reliable, but TheStreet Ratings cannot guarantee its accuracy and completeness, and that of the opinions based thereon. Data is provided via the COMPUSTAT® Xpressfeed product from Standard &Poor's, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., as well as other third-party data providers. TheStreet Ratings is a division of TheStreet, Inc., which is a publisher. This research report contains opinions and is provided for informational purposes only. You should not rely solely upon the research herein for purposes of transacting securities or other investments, and you are encouraged to conduct your own research and due diligence, and to seek the advice of a qualified securities professional, before you make any investment. None of the information contained in this report constitutes, or is intended to constitute a recommendation by TheStreet Ratings of any particular security or trading strategy or a determination by TheStreet Ratings that any security or trading strategy is suitable for any specific person. To the extent any of the information contained herein may be deemed to be investment advice, such information is impersonal and not tailored to the investment needs of any specific person. Your use of this report is governed by TheStreet, Inc.'s Terms of Use found at http://www.thestreet.com/static/about/terms-of-use.html. This report is for information purposes only and should not be considered a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Neither TheStreet Ratings nor any other party guarantees its accuracy or makes warranties regarding results from its usage. Redistribution is prohibited without the express written consent of TheStreet Ratings. Copyright(c) 2006-2015. All rights reserved. Report Date: February 28, 2016 PAGE 5