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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C.  20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

x      QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended October 29, 2011

or

o         TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from                      to                     .

Commission File Number:  1-6140

DILLARD’S, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

1600 CANTRELL ROAD, LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS  72201

(Address of principal executive offices)

(Zip Code)

(501) 376-5200

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. x Yes  o No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). x Yes  o No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company.  See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). o Yes  x No

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

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Index

DILLARD’S, INC.

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PART I.  FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1.  Financial Statements

DILLARD’S, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Unaudited)

(In Thousands)

See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

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DILLARD’S, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME AND RETAINED EARNINGS

(Unaudited)

(In Thousands, Except Per Share Data)

See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

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DILLARD’S, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Unaudited)

(Amounts in Thousands)

See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

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DILLARD’S, INC.

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Unaudited)

Note 1.  Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements of Dillard’s, Inc. (the “Company”) have been prepared in accordance with the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).  Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for complete financial statements.  In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair statement have been included.  Operating results for the three and nine months ended October 29, 2011 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the fiscal year ending January 28, 2012 due to the seasonal nature of the business.

These unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 29, 2011 filed with the SEC on March 23, 2011.

Restricted cash — During the three months ended October 29, 2011, our wholly-owned captive insurance subsidiary entered into an agreement in which $24.9 million was placed into a trust for the benefit of a third party insurance provider.  The purpose of the trust (and additional standby letters of credit of $24.9 million) is to collateralize a third party insurer for workers’ compensation and general liability obligations under casualty insurance programs for policy years through fiscal 2011.  Prior to this change, all claims were secured by standby letters of credit.

Reclassifications — Certain items have been reclassified from their prior year classifications to conform to the current year presentation.  These reclassifications had no effect on net income or stockholders’ equity as previously reported.

Note 2.  Business Segments

The Company operates in two reportable segments:  the operation of retail department stores (“retail operations”) and a general contracting construction company (“construction”).

For the Company’s retail operations, the Company determined its operating segments on a store by store basis.  Each store’s operating performance has been aggregated into one reportable segment.  The Company’s operating segments are aggregated for financial reporting purposes because they are similar in each of the following areas: economic characteristics, class of consumer, nature of products and distribution methods. Revenues from external customers are derived from merchandise sales, and the Company does not rely on any major customers as a source of revenue. Across all stores, the Company operates one store format under the Dillard’s name where each store offers the same general mix of merchandise with similar categories and similar customers.  The Company believes that disaggregating its operating segments would not provide meaningful additional information.

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The following tables summarize certain segment information, including the reconciliation of those items to the Company’s consolidated operations:

Intersegment construction revenues of $10.8 million and $25.8 million for the three and nine months ended October 29, 2011, respectively, and intersegment construction revenues of $9.5 million and $22.2 million for the three and nine months ended October 30, 2010, respectively, were eliminated during consolidation and have been excluded from net sales for the respective periods.

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Note 3.  Stock-Based Compensation

The Company has various stock option plans that provide for the granting of options to purchase shares of Class A Common Stock to certain key employees of the Company.  Exercise and vesting terms for options granted under the plans are determined at each grant date.  There were no stock options granted during the three and nine months ended October 29, 2011 and October 30, 2010.

Stock option transactions for the three months ended October 29, 2011 are summarized as follows:

During the three months ended October 29, 2011, the intrinsic value of stock options exercised was $0.6 million.  At October 29, 2011, the intrinsic value of outstanding and exercisable stock options was $58.5 million.

Note 4.  Asset Impairment and Store Closing Charges

There were no asset impairment and store closing costs recorded during the three months ended October 29, 2011 and October 30, 2010.

During the nine months ended October 29, 2011, the Company recorded a pretax charge of $1.2 million for asset impairment and store closing costs.  The charge was for the write-down of a property currently held for sale.

During the nine months ended October 30, 2010, the Company recorded a pretax charge of $2.2 million for asset impairment and store closing costs.  The charge was for the write-down of a property currently held for sale.

Following is a summary of the activity in the reserve established for store closing charges for the nine months ended October 29, 2011:

*included in rentals

Reserve amounts are included in trade accounts payable and accrued expenses and other liabilities.

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Note 5.  Earnings Per Share Data

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share for the periods indicated (in thousands, except per share data).

Total stock options outstanding were 2,245,000 and 4,009,369 at October 29, 2011 and October 30, 2010, respectively.  Of these, options to purchase 4,009,369 shares of Class A Common Stock at prices ranging from $24.73 to $26.57 were outstanding at October 30, 2010 but were not included in the computations of diluted earnings per share because the effect of their inclusion would be antidilutive.  A negligible amount of dilution, included in the weighted average shares computation for the nine months ended October 30, 2010, was insignificant for presentation in the table above.

Note 6.  Comprehensive Income

The following table shows the computation of comprehensive income (in thousands):

Note 7.  Commitments and Contingencies

On June 10, 2009, a lawsuit was filed in the Circuit Court of Pulaski County, Arkansas styled Billy K. Berry, Derivatively on behalf of Dillard’s, Inc. v. William Dillard II et al, Case Number CV-09-4227-2 (the “Berry” case). The lawsuit generally sought return of monies and alleged that certain officers and directors of the Company had been overcompensated and/or received improper benefits at the expense of the Company and its shareholders.  On February 18, 2010, the Circuit Court entered an “Order of Dismissal with Prejudice and Final Judgment” dismissing the case as to all parties defendant.  The Circuit Court’s judgment was affirmed by the

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Arkansas Court of Appeals.  Plaintiff appealed the decision of the Court of Appeals to the Arkansas Supreme Court where, on September 15, 2011, that appeal was denied.

On May 27, 2009, a lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas styled Steven Harben, Derivatively on Behalf of Nominal Defendant Dillard’s, Inc. v. William Dillard II et al, Case Number 4:09-IV-395.  The lawsuit generally sought return of monies and alleged that certain officers and directors of the Company had been overcompensated and/or received improper benefits at the expense of the Company and its shareholders.  On September 30, 2010, the District Court dismissed the lawsuit in its entirety with prejudice but granted plaintiff’s request to stay final judgment pending the exhaustion of all appeals in the Berry case, discussed above.  On September 23, 2011, the District Court entered Judgment dismissing the case after the Arkansas Supreme Court denied the Berry appeal.  The period for any appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has expired.

Accordingly, each of these cases has been concluded.

Various other legal proceedings, in the form of lawsuits and claims, which occur in the normal course of business, are pending against the Company and its subsidiaries.  In the opinion of management, disposition of these matters is not expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, cash flows or results of operations.

At October 29, 2011, letters of credit totaling $55.8 million were issued under the Company’s revolving credit facility.

Note 8.  Benefit Plans

The Company has an unfunded, nonqualified defined benefit plan (“Pension Plan”) for its officers.  The Pension Plan is noncontributory and provides benefits based on years of service and compensation during employment.  Pension expense is determined using various actuarial cost methods to estimate the total benefits ultimately payable to officers and allocates this cost to service periods.  The actuarial assumptions used to calculate pension costs are reviewed annually.  The Company made contributions to the Pension Plan of $1.2 million and $3.3 million during the three and nine months ended October 29, 2011, respectively.  The Company expects to make a contribution to the Pension Plan of approximately $1.1 million for the remainder of fiscal 2011.

The components of net periodic benefit costs are as follows (in thousands):

Note 9.  Revolving Credit Agreement

At October 29, 2011, the Company maintained a $1.0 billion revolving credit facility (“credit agreement”) with JPMorgan Chase Bank (“JPMorgan”) as the lead agent for various banks, secured by the inventory of Dillard’s, Inc. operating subsidiaries.  The credit agreement expires December 12, 2012.

Borrowings under the credit agreement accrue interest starting at either JPMorgan’s Base Rate minus 0.5% or LIBOR plus 1.0% (1.25% at October 29, 2011) subject to certain availability thresholds as defined in the credit agreement.

Limited to 85% of the inventory of certain Company subsidiaries, availability for borrowings and letter of credit obligations under the credit agreement was $1.0 billion at October 29, 2011.  Borrowings of $142.0 million were outstanding and letters of credit totaling $55.8 million were issued under this credit agreement leaving unutilized availability under the facility of approximately $802 million at October 29, 2011.  There are no financial covenant

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requirements under the credit agreement provided availability exceeds $100 million.  The Company pays an annual commitment fee to the banks of 0.25% of the committed amount less outstanding borrowings and letters of credit.

Note 10.  Stock Repurchase Program

May 2011 Stock Plan

In May 2011, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized the Company to repurchase up to $250 million of the Company’s Class A Common Stock under an open-ended plan (“May 2011 Stock Plan”).  This authorization permits the Company to repurchase its Class A Common Stock in the open market, pursuant to preset trading plans meeting the requirements of Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) or through privately negotiated transactions.  During the three months ended October 29, 2011, the Company repurchased 2.9 million shares for $123.7 million at an average price of $42.40 per share.  At October 29, 2011, $126.3 million in share repurchase authorization remained under the May 2011 Stock Plan.

February 2011 Stock Plan

In February 2011, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized the Company to repurchase up to $250 million of the Company’s Class A Common Stock under an open-ended plan (“February 2011 Stock Plan”).  This authorization permitted the Company to repurchase its Class A Common Stock in the open market, pursuant to preset trading plans meeting the requirements of Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act or through privately negotiated transactions.  During the nine months ended October 29, 2011, the Company repurchased 6.0 million shares for $250.0 million at an average price of $41.93 per share, which completed the authorization under the February 2011 Stock Plan.

2010 Stock Plan

In August 2010, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized the Company to repurchase up to $250 million of the Company’s Class A Common Stock under an open-ended plan (“2010 Stock Plan”).  During the three months ended October 30, 2010, the Company repurchased 2.9 million shares of stock under the 2010 Stock Plan for approximately $71.3 million at an average price of $24.86 per share.  During the nine months ended October 29, 2011, the Company repurchased 0.4 million shares for $18.7 million at an average price of $42.19 per share, which completed the remaining authorization under the 2010 Stock Plan.

2007 Stock Plan

In November 2007, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized the Company to repurchase up to $200 million of the Company’s Class A Common Stock under an open-ended plan (“2007 Stock Plan”).  During the nine months ended October 30, 2010, the Company repurchased 7.2 million shares of stock for approximately $182.6 million at an average price of $25.39 per share, which completed the remaining authorization under the 2007 Stock Plan.

Note 11.    Income Taxes

The total amount of unrecognized tax benefits as of October 29, 2011 and October 30, 2010 was $8.2 million and $14.0 million, respectively, of which $5.6 million and $10.3 million, respectively, would, if recognized, affect the effective tax rate.  The Company classifies accrued interest expense and penalties relating to income tax in the condensed consolidated financial statements as income tax expense.  The total accrued interest and penalties in the condensed consolidated balance sheets as of October 29, 2011 and October 30, 2010 was $3.4 million and $4.6 million, respectively.  The estimated range of the reasonably possible unrecognized tax benefit decrease in the next twelve months is between $0.5 million and $1.5 million.  Changes in the Company’s assumptions and judgments can materially affect amounts recognized in the condensed consolidated balance sheets and statements of income.

In January 2011, the Company formed a wholly-owned subsidiary intended to operate as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) and transferred certain properties to this subsidiary.  The Company entered into this transaction in order to enhance its financial flexibility by providing additional sources of liquidity.  At the time, the Company believed that a tax election might be available to the Company that would result in a taxable gain on the transfer of these properties to the REIT.  In May 2011, the Company requested that the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) review the REIT transaction and a potential tax election available to the Company, through the IRS’s voluntary Pre-Filing Agreement Program (“PFA”).  Through the PFA, in September 2011, the Company and the IRS entered into a Closing Agreement On Final Determination Covering Specific Matters under which agreement the

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IRS agreed with the Company regarding the tax treatment of the transfer of the properties to the REIT and the availability of the tax election to the Company.  Based on the agreement with the IRS, during the three months ended October 29, 2011 the Company determined to make the tax election in its tax return for the fiscal year ended January 29, 2011 (fiscal 2010) which was filed during the quarter.  This tax election increases the tax basis of the properties transferred to the REIT to their fair values at the date of the transfer.  The income tax that would otherwise be payable because of the gain recognized by this election was largely reduced by the utilization of a capital loss carryforward, that would otherwise have expired as of January 29, 2011, against a portion of the recognized gain.  Because of the Company’s past uncertainty regarding the incurrence of capital gain income, the deferred tax asset associated with that capital loss carryforward had been offset by a full valuation allowance since its recognition in fiscal 2005.  During the three months ended October 29, 2011, income taxes included the recognition of approximately $201.6 million in tax benefit due to the reversal of the valuation allowance related to the amount of the capital loss carryforward used to offset the capital gain income recognized on the taxable transfer of the properties to the REIT.  Approximately $134.4 million of the tax benefit relates to increased basis in depreciable property while approximately $67.2 million of the benefit relates to increased basis in land.  Due to the increased tax basis of the depreciable properties transferred to the REIT, the Company will recognize increased tax depreciation deductions in the future which are expected to yield cash tax benefits of approximately $5 million annually in years one through twenty and approximately $2 million annually in years twenty-one through forty beginning with the year ending January 28, 2012.  Due to the uncertainty surrounding whether the REIT will dispose of any of its land assets in the future, the Company cannot estimate when or if the cash tax benefits related to the increased basis in land will be received.

During the three months ended October 29, 2011, income taxes included the recognition of:  a tax benefit of approximately $201.6 million due to the reversal of a valuation allowance related to a capital loss carryforward; tax benefits related to federal tax credits; and net decreases in unrecognized tax benefits, interest and penalties.  During the three months ended October 30, 2010, income taxes included the recognition of tax benefits primarily due to a decrease in a capital loss valuation allowance.

During the nine months ended October 29, 2011, income taxes included the recognition of:  a tax benefit of approximately $201.6 million due to the reversal of a valuation allowance related to a capital loss carryforward; tax benefits related to federal tax credits; net decreases in unrecognized tax benefits, interest and penalties; decreases in net operating loss valuation allowances; and decreases in net deferred tax liabilities resulting from legislatively-enacted state tax rate reductions.  Additionally, during the nine months ended October 29, 2011, the IRS concluded its examination of the Company’s federal income tax returns for the fiscal tax years 2008 through 2009, and no significant changes occurred in these tax years as a result of such examination.  During the nine months ended October 30, 2010, income taxes included the recognition of tax benefits primarily due to a state administrative settlement, a decrease in a capital loss valuation allowance, and federal tax credit refund claims.

Note 12.  Income on Joint Venture

During the nine months ended October 29, 2011, the Company received a distribution of excess cash from a mall joint venture of $6.7 million and recorded a related gain of $4.2 million in income on and equity in (losses) of joint ventures.

Note 13.  (Gain) Loss on Disposal of Assets

During the three months ended October 29, 2011, the Company received proceeds of $10.3 million from the sale of two former retail store locations, resulting in gains totaling $1.3 million that were recorded in (gain) loss on disposal of assets.

Additionally, during the nine months ended October 29, 2011, the Company received proceeds of $11.0 million from the sale of an interest in a mall joint venture, resulting in a gain of $2.1 million that was recorded in (gain) loss on disposal of assets.

During the three months ended October 30, 2010, the Company received proceeds of $1.9 million from the sale of a former retail store location, resulting in a loss of $1.1 million that was recorded in (gain) loss on disposal of assets.

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Additionally, during the nine months ended October 30, 2010, the Company received proceeds of $4.0 million from the sale of a former retail store location, resulting in a gain of $4.0 million that was recorded in (gain) loss on disposal of assets.

Note 14.  Note Repurchase

During the three months ended October 29, 2011, the Company repurchased $5.7 million face amount of 6.625% notes with an original maturity on January 15, 2018.  This repurchase resulted in a pretax gain of approximately $0.2 million which was recorded in net interest and debt expense during the three months ended October 29, 2011.

During the three months ended October 30, 2010, the Company repurchased $1.2 million face amount of 7.13% notes with an original maturity on August 1, 2018.  This repurchase resulted in a pretax gain of approximately $21 thousand which was recorded in net interest and debt expense during the three months ended October 30, 2010.

Note 15.  Fair Value Disclosures

The estimated fair values of financial instruments which are presented herein have been determined by the Company using available market information and appropriate valuation methodologies. However, considerable judgment is required in interpreting market data to develop estimates of fair value. Accordingly, the estimates presented herein are not necessarily indicative of amounts the Company could realize in a current market exchange.

The fair value of the Company’s long-term debt and subordinated debentures is based on market prices or dealer quotes (for publicly traded unsecured notes) and on discounted future cash flows using current interest rates for financial instruments with similar characteristics and maturities (for bank notes and mortgage notes).

The fair value of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts receivable and other short-term borrowings approximates their carrying values at October 29, 2011 due to the short-term maturities of these instruments.  The fair value of the Company’s long-term debt at October 29, 2011 was approximately $679 million.  The carrying value of the Company’s long-term debt at October 29, 2011 was $692 million.  The fair value of the Company’s subordinated debentures at October 29, 2011 was approximately $194 million.  The carrying value of the Company’s subordinated debentures at October 29, 2011 was $200 million.

Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Nonrecurring Basis

The FASB’s accounting guidance utilizes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to the valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three broad levels:

·        Level 1:  Observable inputs such as quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities

·        Level 2:  Inputs, other than quoted prices, that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly; these include quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets and quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active

·        Level 3:  Unobservable inputs that reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions

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During the nine months ended October 29, 2011, long-lived assets held for sale with a carrying value of $27.5 million were written down to their fair value of $26.3 million, resulting in an impairment charge of $1.2 million, which was included in earnings for the period. During the nine months ended October 29, 2011, the Company sold two former retail store locations with carrying values totaling $9.0 million.

During the nine months ended October 30, 2010, long-lived assets held for sale with a carrying value of $34.0 million were written down to their fair value of $31.7 million, resulting in an impairment charge of $2.2 million, which was included in earnings for the period.  The inputs used to calculate the fair value of these long-lived assets in both periods included selling prices from commercial real estate transactions for similar assets in similar markets that we estimated would be used by a market participant in valuing these assets.  During the nine months ended October 30, 2010, the Company also sold a former retail store location with a carrying value of $3.0 million.

Note 16.  Recently Issued Accounting Standards

In May 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2011-04, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820)—Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRSs.  The amendments in this update change the wording used to describe the requirements in U.S. GAAP for measuring fair value and for disclosing information about fair value measurements to ensure consistency between U.S. GAAP and IFRS.  This update is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011 and is to be applied prospectively.  The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU No. 2011-04 to have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.

In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-05, Comprehensive Income (Topic 220)—Presentation of Comprehensive Income, to make the presentation of items within other comprehensive income (“OCI”) more prominent.  The new standard will require companies to present items of net income, items of OCI and total comprehensive income in one continuous statement or two separate consecutive statements, and companies will no longer be allowed to present items of OCI in the statement of stockholders’ equity.  This new update is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011 and is to be applied retrospectively.  The adoption of this new standard may change the order in which certain financial statements are presented and will provide additional detail in those financial statements when applicable, but will not have any other impact on the Company’s financial statements.

Note 17.  Subsequent Event

The Company reached an agreement effective November 30, 2011 with i2 Technologies, Inc. (“i2”), a subsidiary of JDA Software Group, Inc. (“JDA”), to settle a lawsuit filed by Dillard’s against i2 over software sold to Dillard’s by i2 in 2000, prior to JDA’s acquisition of i2 in 2010.  Pursuant to the agreement, i2 paid Dillard’s $57.0 million during the three months ending January 28, 2012.  After providing for income taxes and settlement related expenses, the Company expects to record approximately $28.5 million of net income from this settlement during the three months ending January 28, 2012.

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Item 2.  Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the condensed consolidated financial statements and the footnotes thereto included elsewhere in this report, as well as the financial and other information included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 29, 2011.

EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW

Improved sales headlined our third quarter operating performance of fiscal 2011, contributing to record-setting earnings per share.  Extending the sales momentum from our first two quarters, comparable store sales for the quarter ended October 29, 2011 increased 5% over the comparable prior year quarter as gross margin rates were held and operating expenses were leveraged.  Net income for the quarter increased to $228.2 million, or $4.31 per share—our highest historical third quarter earnings per share—compared to $14.4 million, or $0.22 per share, in the comparable prior year quarter.

Included in net income for the quarter ended October 29, 2011 are:

·                  a $201.6 million tax benefit ($3.81 per share) due to a reversal of a valuation allowance related to the amount of the capital loss carryforward used to offset the capital gain income recognized on the taxable transfer of properties to our REIT and

·                  a $1.3 million pretax gain ($0.9 million after tax or $0.02 per share) related to the sale of two former retail store locations.

Included in net income for the quarter ended October 30, 2010 is a $1.1 million pretax loss ($0.7 million after tax or $0.02 per share) related to the sale of a closed store and a $1.2 million income tax benefit ($0.02 per share) for a decrease in a capital loss valuation allowance.

Highlights of the quarter ended October 29, 2011 included:

·                  record earnings per share for a third quarter of $4.31 per share compared to $0.22 per share for the prior year third quarter.  Net income was $228.2 million for the quarter ended October 29, 2011 compared to net income of $14.4 million for the quarter ended October 30, 2010.

·                  a comparable store sales increase of 5% while maintaining gross margin from retail operations at 36.8% of sales and

·                  continued operating expense control, decreasing 30 basis points of sales.

·                  the repurchase of approximately $123.7 million (2.9 million shares) of Class A Common Stock.

As of October 29, 2011, we had working capital of $672.1 million, cash and cash equivalents of $106.4 million and $1,034.0 million of total debt outstanding, excluding capital lease obligations.  Cash flows from operating activities were $135.6 million for the nine months ended October 29, 2011.  We operated 304 total stores, including 16 clearance centers, and one internet store as of October 29, 2011, a decrease of 6 stores from the same period last year.

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Key Performance Indicators

We use a number of key indicators of financial condition and operating performance to evaluate our business, including the following:

*Cash flow from operations data is for the nine months ended October 29, 2011 and October 30, 2010.

General

Net sales.  Net sales include merchandise sales of comparable and non-comparable stores and revenue recognized on contracts of CDI Contractors, LLC (“CDI”), the Company’s general contracting construction company.  Comparable store sales include sales for those stores which were in operation for a full period in both the current month and the corresponding month for the prior year.  Non-comparable store sales include:  sales in the current fiscal year from stores opened during the previous fiscal year before they are considered comparable stores; sales from new stores opened during the current fiscal year; sales in the previous fiscal year for stores closed during the current or previous fiscal year that are no longer considered comparable stores; and sales in clearance centers.

Service charges and other income.  Service charges include income generated through the long-term marketing and servicing alliance (“Alliance”) with GE Consumer Finance (“GE”), which owns and manages the Dillard’s branded proprietary credit cards.  Other income includes rental income, shipping and handling fees and lease income on leased departments.

Cost of sales.  Cost of sales includes the cost of merchandise sold (net of purchase discounts), bankcard fees, freight to the distribution centers, employee and promotional discounts, non-specific margin maintenance allowances and direct payroll for salon personnel.  Cost of sales also includes CDI contract costs, which comprise all direct material and labor costs, subcontract costs and those indirect costs related to contract performance, such as indirect labor, employee benefits and insurance program costs.

Advertising, selling, administrative and general expenses.  Advertising, selling, administrative and general expenses include buying, occupancy, selling, distribution, warehousing, store and corporate expenses (including payroll and employee benefits), insurance, employment taxes, advertising, management information systems, legal and other corporate level expenses.  Buying expenses consist of payroll, employee benefits and travel for design, buying and merchandising personnel.

Depreciation and amortization.  Depreciation and amortization expenses include depreciation and amortization on property and equipment.

Rentals.  Rentals include expenses for store leases and data processing and other equipment rentals.

Interest and debt expense, net.  Interest and debt expense includes interest, net of interest income, relating to the Company’s unsecured notes, mortgage notes, term note and subordinated debentures, amortization of financing costs and interest on capital lease obligations.

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(Gain) loss on disposal of assets.  (Gain) loss on disposal of assets includes the net gain or loss on the sale or disposal of property and equipment and the gain on the sale of an interest in a mall joint venture.

Asset impairment and store closing charges.  Asset impairment and store closing charges consist of write-downs to fair value of under-performing or available-for-sale properties and exit costs associated with the closure of certain stores.  Exit costs include future rent, taxes and common area maintenance expenses from the time the stores are closed.

Income on and equity in (losses) of joint ventures.  Income on and equity in (losses) of joint ventures includes the Company’s portion of the income or loss of the Company’s unconsolidated joint ventures as well as a distribution of excess cash from one of the Company’s mall joint ventures.

Seasonality and Inflation

Our business, like many other retailers, is subject to seasonal influences, with a significant portion of sales and income typically realized during the last quarter of our fiscal year due to the holiday season.  Because of the seasonality of our business, results from any quarter are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be achieved for a full fiscal year.