Ross & Children's Place, highest free cash flow per share

Ross Stores, Body Central and Children's Place are

the three companies in the apparel retail industry with the highest free cash flow per share. FCF/share is a valuable metric signaling a company's ability to facilitate growth in the business.

According to the data collected by Financial News Network Online (FNNO) Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) is highest with FCF per share of $4.03 (about Rs 219). Ross Stores, Inc. operates a national chain of off-price retail apparel stores. Ross Stores has traded 204,000 shares thus far today, vs. average volume of 1.1 million shares per day. The stock has outperformed the Dow (-0.1 per cent to the Dow's -0.7 per cent) and outperformed the S&P 500 (-0.1 per cent to the S&P's -0.9 per cent) during today's trading.

Body Central (NASDAQ:BODY) is next with FCF per share of $3.60 (Rs 195). The retailer sells affordable ladies apparel.

Finishing up the top three is Children's Place (NASDAQ:PLCE), with FCF per share of $3.33 (Rs 181). On 20th December, analyst Margaret Whitfield said in a client note that the quarter-to-date has been warm, with November the eighth warmest in the past 50 years and the first week of December the warmest in 10 years and the second week of the month the warmest in five years. "We have noted that the Children's Place has been more promotional each week versus last year for the holiday season to date, with 55 per cent to 60 per cent off outerwear in stores and deeper discounts on other cold weather attire such as accessories, hoodies and glacier fleece," Whitfield wrote. Still, Whitfield sees long-term opportunities for the company, saying that it will begin to benefit from a plan to convert its outlets from a clearance-geared focus to products made for sale there and well as entry into overseas markets next fall. Consequently, Whitfield lowered the retailer to "Neutral" from "Buy" and reduced its price target to $60 (about Rs 3,263) from $62 (about Rs 3,372).