<div id="subtitle">Kohl's raises 4Q profit outlook after sales at stores open at least a year jump in January</div><div><p>Kohl's Corp. raised its fourth-quarter profit forecast again on Thursday after January sales climbed faster than expected.</p><p>The company said sales at stores open more than a year were up 6.5 percent for the four weeks ended Jan. 31. That's an important gauge for retailers because it excludes sales growth that comes from newer stores.</p><p>It was a bigger jump than Wall Street expected. On average, analysts projected an increase of 2.8 percent, according to a survey by Thomson Reuters.</p><p>Total sales grew 10.7 percent.</p><p>In a statement, Kohl's CEO Kevin Mansell said the department store operator is seeing a rise in the number of transactions per store, "indicating customers are selecting Kohl's when they choose to shop, even as they remain conservative in their discretionary spending."</p><p>As a result of strong January sales, Kohl's raised its profit forecast for the fourth quarter. It now expects profit of $1.36 to $1.37 per share, up from a previous forecast of $1.28 to $1.30. Analysts expected $1.31.</p><p>Kohl's had already raised its projected range from a forecast of $1.14 to $1.24 last month after December sales came in better than expected.</p><p>The company's shares fell $1.75, or 3.3 percent, to $50.39 in morning trading.</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=68441676&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>

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