Form 8-K

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

 

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

DATE OF REPORT (DATE OF EARLIEST EVENT REPORTED) August 12, 2010

 

 

NORDSTROM, INC.

(EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)

 

 

 

WASHINGTON   001-15059   91-0515058

(STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION

OF INCORPORATION)

 

(COMMISSION

FILE NUMBER)

 

(I.R.S. EMPLOYER

IDENTIFICATION NO.)

 

1617 SIXTH AVENUE, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON   98101
(ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES)   (ZIP CODE)

REGISTRANT’S TELEPHONE NUMBER, INCLUDING AREA CODE (206) 628-2111

INAPPLICABLE

(FORMER NAME OR FORMER ADDRESS IF CHANGED SINCE LAST REPORT)

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

¨  

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

¨  

Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

¨  

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

¨  

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

 

 


ITEM 2.02 Results of Operations and Financial Condition

On August 12, 2010, Nordstrom, Inc. issued an earnings release announcing its results of operations for the quarter and six months ended July 31, 2010, its financial position as of July 31, 2010, and its cash flows for the six months ended July 31, 2010. A copy of this earnings release is attached as Exhibit 99.1.

ITEM 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure

On August 12, 2010, Nordstrom, Inc. issued an earnings release announcing its results of operations for the quarter and six months ended July 31, 2010, its financial position as of July 31, 2010, and its cash flows for the six months ended July 31, 2010. A copy of this earnings release is attached as Exhibit 99.1.

ITEM 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits

 

99.1    Nordstrom earnings release dated August 12, 2010 relating to the Company’s results of operations for the quarter and six months ended July 31, 2010, its financial position as of July 31, 2010, and its cash flows for the six months ended July 31, 2010.


SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

NORDSTROM, INC.
By:  

/s/ Robert B. Sari

  Robert B. Sari
  Executive Vice President,
  General Counsel and Corporate
  Secretary

Dated: August 12, 2010


EXHIBIT INDEX

 

EXHIBIT
NUMBER

  

DESCRIPTION

99.1    Nordstrom earnings release dated August 12, 2010 relating to the Company’s results of operations for the quarter and six months ended July 31, 2010, its financial position as of July 31, 2010, and its cash flows for the six months ended July 31, 2010.
Nordstrom earnings release dated August 12, 2010

Exhibit 99.1

 

LOGO     
FOR RELEASE:    INVESTOR CONTACT:   Rob Campbell
August 12, 2010 at 1:05 p.m. PT      Nordstrom, Inc.
     (206) 233-6550
   MEDIA CONTACT:   Colin Johnson
     Nordstrom, Inc.
     (206) 373-3036

NORDSTROM REPORTS SECOND QUARTER 2010 EARNINGS

SEATTLE, Wash. (August 12, 2010) – Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE: JWN) today reported net earnings of $146 million, or $0.66 per diluted share, for the second quarter ended July 31, 2010. This represented an increase of 38.6 percent compared with net earnings of $105 million, or $0.48 per diluted share, for the same quarter last year.

Second quarter same-store sales increased 8.4 percent compared with the same period in fiscal 2009. Net sales in the second quarter were $2.42 billion, an increase of 12.7 percent compared with net sales of $2.14 billion during the same period in fiscal 2009.

SECOND QUARTER SUMMARY

Nordstrom’s second quarter performance reflects a continuation of the positive sales trends from the first quarter, resulting in a net earnings increase of $41 million compared with the same period in fiscal 2009. The company’s performance was highlighted by well-executed sales events during the quarter: the Half-Yearly Sale for Women and Kids, the Half-Yearly Sale for Men, and the Anniversary Sale.

 

   

Multi-channel same-store sales increased 9.9 percent compared with the same period in fiscal 2009. Full-line same-store sales in the second quarter increased 8.2 percent and Direct sales increased 34.1 percent compared with the same period in 2009. Same-store sales during the Anniversary Sale event increased 9.0 percent, benefiting from a shared inventory platform between full-line stores and the Direct business that allowed better fulfillment of customer demand. Top-performing multi-channel merchandise categories included Jewelry, Dresses and Women’s Shoes. The Midwest and South regions were the top-performing geographic areas for full-line stores relative to the second quarter of 2009. During the second quarter, the company relocated one Nordstrom full-line store in Cerritos, California (Los Cerritos Center).

 

   

Nordstrom Rack same-store sales declined 0.9 percent compared with the same period in fiscal 2009. During the second quarter the company opened one Nordstrom Rack store in Manhattan (Union Square).

 

   

Gross profit, as a percentage of net sales, increased 133 basis points compared with last year’s second quarter. The improvement was mainly driven by merchandise margin as a percentage of net sales, but also from slightly reduced buying and occupancy costs as a percentage of net sales. The company ended the quarter with sales per square foot up 8.3 percent and inventory per square foot up 8.7 percent compared with the second quarter of 2009.

 

   

Retail selling, general and administrative expenses, as a percentage of net sales, increased approximately 60 basis points compared with last year’s second quarter. This reflects planned increases in organizational, marketing and technology expenses as the company invests in expanding its capabilities. This was coupled with increased fulfillment costs as the company used its multi-channel inventory platform to better serve customers.

 

   

Credit selling, general and administrative expenses declined $12 million compared with last year’s second quarter. This decrease reflects a $15 million reduction in our reserve for bad debt based on improvement in credit trends. Delinquencies as a percentage of accounts receivable at the end of the second quarter were 3.5 percent, down from 4.2 percent at the end of the first quarter of 2010 and 3.6 percent at the end of the second quarter of 2009.


   

Earnings before interest and taxes increased to $272 million, or 10.8 percent of total revenues, from $206 million, or 9.3 percent of total revenues, in last year’s second quarter. This represents an approximately 30 basis-point improvement compared with the first quarter of 2010.

EXPANSION UPDATE

During the second quarter of 2010, Nordstrom opened a Nordstrom Rack store at One Union Square South in Manhattan, New York and relocated a full-line store in Los Cerritos Center in Cerritos, California, which replaced a store built in 1981.

During the third quarter of 2010, Nordstrom plans to open the following stores:

 

Location

   Store Name    Square Footage    Date

Full-Line Stores

        

Santa Monica, California

   Santa Monica Place    122,000    August 27

Nordstrom Rack Stores

        

Arlington, Virginia

   Pentagon Centre      34,000    August 26

Fairfax, Virginia

   Fair Lakes Promenade      38,000    August 26

Durham, North Carolina

   Renaissance Center      33,000    September 2

St. Louis, Missouri

   Brentwood Square      34,000    September 16

Boca Raton, Florida

   University Commons      36,000    September 23

Chicago, Illinois

   Chicago Avenue      36,000    September 30

Tampa, Florida

   Walter’s Crossing Neighborhood      45,000    October 7

Lakewood, California

   Lakewood Center      33,000    October 14

Burbank, California

   Burbank Empire Center      35,000    October 21

During the third quarter of 2010, on October 28th, Nordstrom also plans to relocate a Nordstrom Rack store to Spokane Valley Plaza in Spokane Valley, Washington.

FISCAL YEAR 2010 OUTLOOK

Based on second quarter performance, Nordstrom is maintaining its outlook for fiscal 2010 during which Nordstrom expects earnings per diluted share in the range of $2.50 to $2.65, while revising the outlook for credit card revenues, selling, general and administrative expenses and the effective tax rate.

The company’s expectations for fiscal 2010 are as follows:

 

Same-store Sales    4.0 percent to 6.0 percent increase
Credit Card Revenues    $25 to $35 million increase
Gross Profit (%)    100 to 130 basis point increase
Retail Selling, General and Admin. Expense ($)    $215 to $260 million increase
Credit Selling, General and Admin. Expense ($)    $40 to $50 million decrease
Total Selling, General and Admin. Expense (%)    40 to 60 basis point decrease
Interest Expense, net    $5 to $15 million decrease
Effective Tax Rate    38.7 percent
Earnings per Diluted Share    $2.50 to $2.65
Diluted Shares Outstanding    223.7 million

CONFERENCE CALL INFORMATION

The company’s senior management will host a conference call to discuss second quarter results at 4:45 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time today. To listen, please dial 517-308-9140 (passcode: NORD). A telephone replay will be available beginning approximately one hour after the conclusion of the call by dialing 203-369-1764 (passcode: 6673) until the close of business on August 19, 2010. Interested parties may also listen to the live call over the Internet by visiting the Investor Relations section of the company’s corporate Web site at http://investor.nordstrom.com. An archived webcast will be available in the webcasts section through November 10, 2010.


ABOUT NORDSTROM

Nordstrom, Inc. is one of the nation's leading fashion specialty retailers, with 193 stores located in 28 states. Founded in 1901 as a shoe store in Seattle, today Nordstrom operates 114 full-line stores, 76 Nordstrom Racks, two Jeffrey boutiques and one clearance store. Nordstrom also serves customers through its online presence at www.nordstrom.com and through its catalogs. Nordstrom, Inc.’s common stock is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol JWN.

Certain statements in this news release contain “forward-looking” information (as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) that involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, anticipated financial outlook for the fiscal year ending January 29, 2011, anticipated annual same-store sales rate, anticipated store openings and trends in company operations. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual future results may differ materially from historical results or current expectations depending upon factors including but not limited to: the impact of deteriorating economic and market conditions and the resultant impact on consumer spending patterns, our ability to respond to the business environment and fashion trends, our ability to safeguard our brand and reputation, effective inventory management, efficient and proper allocation of our capital resources, successful execution of our store growth strategy including the timely completion of construction associated with newly planned stores, relocations and remodels, all of which may be impacted by the financial health of third parties, our compliance with applicable banking and related laws and regulations impacting our ability to extend credit to our customers, trends in personal bankruptcies and bad debt write-offs, availability and cost of credit, impact of the current regulatory environment and financial system reforms, changes in interest rates, disruptions in our supply chain, our ability to maintain our relationships with vendors and developers who may be experiencing economic difficulties, the geographic locations of our stores, our ability to maintain relationships with our employees and to effectively train and develop our future leaders, our compliance with information security and privacy laws and regulations, employment laws and regulations and other laws and regulations applicable to us, successful execution of our information technology strategy, successful execution of our multi-channel strategy, risks related to fluctuations in world currencies, public health concerns and the resulting impact on consumer spending patterns, supply chain, and employee health, weather conditions and hazards of nature that affect consumer traffic and consumers’ purchasing patterns, the effectiveness of planned advertising, marketing and promotional campaigns, and our ability to control costs. Our SEC reports, including our Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 30, 2010, and our Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended May 1, 2010, contain other information on these and other factors that could affect our financial results and cause actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking information we may provide. The company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events, new information or future circumstances.


NORDSTROM, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS

(unaudited; amounts in millions, except per share data)

 

     Quarter Ended     Six Months Ended  
     7/31/10     8/1/09     7/31/10     8/1/09  

Net sales

   $ 2,417      $ 2,145      $ 4,407      $ 3,851   

Credit card revenues

     98        87        195        173   
                                

Total revenues

     2,515        2,232        4,602        4,024   

Cost of sales and related buying and occupancy costs

     (1,565     (1,418     (2,808     (2,525

Selling, general and administrative expenses:

        

Retail

     (613     (531     (1,146     (978

Credit

     (65     (77     (157     (169
                                

Earnings before interest and income taxes

     272        206        491        352   

Interest expense, net

     (32     (36     (63     (67
                                

Earnings before income taxes

     240        170        428        285   

Income tax expense

     (94     (65     (166     (99
                                

Net earnings

   $ 146      $ 105      $ 262      $ 186   
                                

Earnings per share

        

Basic

   $ 0.67      $ 0.49      $ 1.20      $ 0.86   

Diluted

   $ 0.66      $ 0.48      $ 1.18      $ 0.86   

Weighted average shares outstanding

        

Basic

     219.2        216.5        218.8        216.2   

Diluted

     222.8        218.8        222.6        217.9   


NORDSTROM, INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(unaudited; amounts in millions)

 

     7/31/10     1/30/10     8/1/09  

Assets

      

Current assets:

      

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 1,137      $ 795      $ 519   

Accounts receivable, net

     2,153        2,035        2,102   

Merchandise inventories

     1,055        898        929   

Current deferred tax assets, net

     245        238        234   

Prepaid expenses and other

     75        88        67   
                        

Total current assets

     4,665        4,054        3,851   

Land, buildings and equipment (net of accumulated depreciation of $3,465, $3,316 and $3,242)

     2,279        2,242        2,241   

Goodwill

     53        53        53   

Other assets

     299        230        195   
                        

Total assets

   $ 7,296      $ 6,579      $ 6,340   
                        

Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity

      

Current liabilities:

      

Accounts payable

   $ 1,050      $ 726      $ 884   

Accrued salaries, wages and related benefits

     273        336        232   

Other current liabilities

     617        596        541   

Current portion of long-term debt

     6        356        375   
                        

Total current liabilities

     1,946        2,014        2,032   

Long-term debt, net

     2,794        2,257        2,260   

Deferred property incentives, net

     486        469        465   

Other liabilities

     260        267        226   

Commitments and contingencies

      

Shareholders’ equity:

      

Common stock, no par value: 1,000 shares authorized; 219.1, 217.7, and 216.4 shares issued and outstanding

     1,120        1,066        1,026   

Retained earnings

     709        525        340   

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

     (19     (19     (9
                        

Total shareholders’ equity

     1,810        1,572        1,357   
                        

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

   $ 7,296      $ 6,579      $ 6,340   
                        


NORDSTROM, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(unaudited; amounts in millions)

 

     Six Months
Ended
7/31/10
    Six  Months
Ended
8/1/09
 

Operating Activities

    

Net earnings

   $ 262      $ 186   

Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to net cash provided by operating activities:

    

Depreciation and amortization of buildings and equipment, net

     162        155   

Amortization of deferred property incentives and other, net

     (27     (21

Deferred income taxes, net

     (34     (32

Stock-based compensation expense

     20        17   

Tax benefit from stock-based compensation

     9        1   

Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation

     (9     (2

Provision for bad debt expense

     97        119   

Change in operating assets and liabilities:

    

Accounts receivable

     (128     (143

Merchandise inventories

     (148     (38

Prepaid expenses and other assets

     14        (13

Accounts payable

     276        324   

Accrued salaries, wages and related benefits

     (63     18   

Other current liabilities

     15        39   

Deferred property incentives

     50        62   

Other liabilities

     (7     25   
                

Net cash provided by operating activities

     489        697   
                

Investing Activities

    

Capital expenditures

     (192     (196

Change in credit card receivables originated at third parties

     (88     (133
                

Net cash used in investing activities

     (280     (329
                

Financing Activities

    

Repayments of commercial paper borrowings, net

     —          (275

Proceeds from long-term borrowings, net of discounts

     498        399   

Principal payments on long-term borrowings

     (353     (3

Increase in cash book overdrafts

     31        15   

Cash dividends paid

     (78     (69

Proceeds from exercise of stock options

     20        6   

Proceeds from employee stock purchase plan

     7        7   

Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation

     9        2   

Other, net

     (1     (3
                

Net cash provided by financing activities

     133        79   
                

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

     342        447   

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

     795        72   
                

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

   $ 1,137      $ 519   
                


NORDSTROM, INC.

STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS BY SEGMENT

(unaudited; amounts in millions, except percentages)

Retail

Our Retail business includes our multi-channel operations, which are composed of our full-line and online stores, and our Rack and Jeffrey stores; and also includes unallocated corporate center expenses. The following tables summarize the results of our Retail business for the quarter and six months ended July 31, 2010 compared with the quarter and six months ended August 1, 2009:

 

     Quarter
Ended

7/31/10
          Quarter
Ended

8/1/09
       
       % of sales1       % of sales1  

Net sales

   $ 2,417      100.0   $ 2,145      100.0

Cost of sales and related buying & occupancy costs

     (1,547   (64.0 %)      (1,405   (65.5 %) 
                            

Gross profit

     870      36.0     740      34.5

Selling, general and administrative expenses

     (613   (25.3 %)      (531   (24.7 %) 
                            

Earnings before interest and income taxes

     257      10.7     209      9.8

Interest expense, net

     (27   (1.1 %)      (26   (1.2 %) 
                            

Earnings before income taxes

   $ 230      9.5   $ 183      8.6
                            
     Six  Months
Ended

7/31/10
          Six  Months
Ended

8/1/09
       
       % of sales1       % of sales1  

Net sales

   $ 4,407      100.0   $ 3,851      100.0

Cost of sales and related buying & occupancy costs

     (2,774   (63.0 %)      (2,500   (64.9 %) 
                            

Gross profit

     1,633      37.0     1,351      35.1

Selling, general and administrative expenses

     (1,146   (26.0 %)      (978   (25.4 %) 
                            

Earnings before interest and income taxes

     487      11.1     373      9.7

Interest expense, net

     (51   (1.2 %)      (47   (1.2 %) 
                            

Earnings before income taxes

   $ 436      9.9   $ 326      8.5
                            

 

1

Subtotals and totals may not foot due to rounding.


NORDSTROM, INC.

STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS BY SEGMENT

(unaudited; amounts in millions, except percentages)

Credit

Our Credit business earns finance charges, interchange fees and late fee income through operation of the Nordstrom private label and Nordstrom VISA credit cards. The following tables summarize the results of our Credit business for the quarter and six months ended July 31, 2010 compared with the quarter and six months ended August 1, 2009:

 

     Quarter
Ended
7/31/10
    Quarter
Ended
8/1/09
    Six  Months
Ended
7/31/10
    Six  Months
Ended
8/1/09
 

Credit card revenues

   $ 98      $ 87      $ 195      $ 173   

Interest expense

     (5 )        (10 )        (12 )        (20 )   
                                

Net credit card income

   $ 93      $ 77      $ 183      $ 153   

Cost of sales – loyalty program

     (18     (13     (34     (25

Selling, general and administrative expenses:

        

Operational and marketing expense

     (31     (25     (60     (50

Bad debt expense

     (34     (52     (97     (119
                                

Earnings (loss) before income taxes

   $ 10      $ (13   $ (8   $ (41
                                

The following table illustrates the activity in our allowance for doubtful accounts for the six months ended July 31, 2010 and August 1, 2009:

 

     Six  Months
Ended
7/31/10
    Six  Months
Ended
8/1/09
 

Allowance at beginning of period

   $ 190      $ 138   

Bad debt provision

     97        119   

Net write-offs

     (112     (93
                

Allowance at end of period

   $ 175      $ 164   
                
     7/31/10     8/1/09  

Allowance as a percentage of ending trade accounts receivable

     7.8     7.5

Delinquent balances thirty days or more as a percentage of accounts receivable

     3.5     3.6

Bad debt provision as a percentage of average accounts receivable1

     6.2     9.9

Net write-offs as a percentage of average accounts receivable2

     9.0     9.4

 

1

Based upon annualized second quarter bad debt provision.

2

Based upon annualized second quarter net write-offs.


NORDSTROM, INC.

ADJUSTED DEBT TO EBITDAR (NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURE)

(unaudited; amounts in millions)

We use various financial measures in our conference calls, investor meetings, and other forums which may be considered non-GAAP financial measures within the meaning of Regulation G of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The following disclosure provides additional information regarding our Adjusted Debt to EBITDAR as of July 31, 2010:

Adjusted Debt to EBITDAR is one of our key financial metrics, and we believe that our debt levels are best analyzed using this measure. Our current goal is to manage debt levels to maintain an investment grade credit rating as well as operate with an efficient capital structure for our size, growth plans and industry. Investment grade credit ratings are important to maintaining access to a variety of short-term and long-term sources of funding, and we rely on these funding sources to continue to grow our business. We believe a higher ratio, among other factors, could result in rating agency downgrades. In contrast, we believe a lower ratio would result in a higher cost of capital and could negatively impact shareholder returns. As of July 31, 2010, our Adjusted Debt to EBITDAR was 2.4 compared with 3.0 as of August 1, 2009.

Adjusted Debt to EBITDAR is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered a substitute for debt to net earnings, net earnings or debt as determined in accordance with GAAP. In addition, Adjusted Debt to EBITDAR does have limitations:

 

   

Adjusted Debt is not exact, but rather our best estimate of the total company debt we would hold if we had purchased the property and issued debt associated with our operating leases;

 

   

EBITDAR does not reflect our cash expenditures, or future requirements for capital expenditures or contractual commitments, including leases, or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments on our debt; and

 

   

Other companies in our industry may calculate Adjusted Debt to EBITDAR differently than we do, limiting its usefulness as a comparative measure.

To compensate for these limitations, we analyze Adjusted Debt to EBITDAR in conjunction with other GAAP financial and performance measures impacting liquidity, including operating cash flows, capital spending and net earnings. The closest GAAP measure is debt to net earnings, which was 5.4 and 8.1 for the second quarter of 2010 and 2009. The following is a comparison of debt to net earnings and Adjusted Debt to EBITDAR:

 

     20101     20091

Debt

   $ 2,800      $ 2,635

Add: rent expense x 82

     428        304

Less: fair value of interest rate swaps included in long-term debt

     (41     —  
              

Adjusted Debt

   $ 3,187      $ 2,939
              

Net earnings

     517        325

Add: income tax expense

     321        177

Add: interest expense, net

     134        133
              

Earnings before interest and income taxes

     972        635

Add: depreciation and amortization of buildings and equipment, net

     319        311

Add: rent expense

     54        38
              

EBITDAR

   $ 1,345      $ 984
              

Debt to Net Earnings

     5.4        8.1

Adjusted Debt to EBITDAR

     2.4        3.0

 

1

The components of adjusted debt are as of July 31, 2010 and August 1, 2009, while the components of EBITDAR are for the 12 months ended July 31, 2010 and August 1, 2009.

2

The multiple of eight times rent expense used to calculate adjusted debt is our best estimate of the debt we would record for our leases that are classified as operating if they had met the criteria for a capital lease, or we had purchased the property.


NORDSTROM, INC.

FREE CASH FLOW (NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURE)

(unaudited; amounts in millions)

We use various financial measures in our conference calls, investor meetings, and other forums which may be considered non-GAAP financial measures within the meaning of Regulation G of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The following disclosure provides additional information regarding our free cash flow for the six months ended July 31, 2010 and August 1, 2009:

Free cash flow is one of our key liquidity measures, and, in conjunction with GAAP measures, provides us with a meaningful analysis of our cash flows. We believe that our cash levels are more appropriately analyzed using this measure. Free cash flow is not a measure of liquidity under GAAP and should not be considered a substitute for operating cash flows as determined in accordance with GAAP. In addition, free cash flow does have limitations:

 

   

Free cash flow does not necessarily represent funds available for discretionary use and is not necessarily a measure of our ability to fund our cash needs; and

 

   

Other companies in our industry may calculate free cash flow differently than we do, limiting its usefulness as a comparative measure.

To compensate for these limitations, we analyze free cash flow in conjunction with other GAAP financial and performance measures impacting liquidity, including operating cash flows. The closest GAAP measure is net cash provided by operating activities, which was $489 and $697 for the six months ended July 31, 2010 and August 1, 2009. The following is a reconciliation of our net cash provided by operating activities and free cash flow:

 

     Six Months
Ended
7/31/10
    Six Months
Ended
8/1/09
 

Net cash provided by operating activities

   $ 489      $ 697   

Less: Capital expenditures

     (192     (196

Change in credit card receivables originated at third parties

     (88     (133

Cash dividends paid

     (78     (69

Add: Increase in cash book overdrafts

     31        15   
                

Free cash flow

   $ 162      $ 314   
                

Net cash used in investing activities

     (280     (329

Net cash provided by financing activities

     133        79