Tax benefits pulled up the earnings of Sears Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ:SHLD)

Sears Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ:SHLD), on December 4, 2014, posted the financial figures of its third fiscal quarter of the year 2014, before the opening of the market. The adjusted EPS (diluted) of the company was recorded to be at a loss of $2.71. The total revenues of the company were recorded to be at $7.2 billion. The company posted a loss of $2.09 per share for the same quarter a year back.

It is important to mention here that Thomson Reuters had predicted a loss of $3.31 per share and total revenues of $6.88 billion.

The GAAP loss of the company has increased however. The figures were at $5.03 a year ago whereas they stand at $5.15 right now. The adjusted loss of Sears Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ:SHLD) also includes a loss of $0.41 for each share due to the sale of Canadian assets. A further loss of $0.25 comes from the sales of assets that were located in the domestic arena. The positive adjustments came from the tax benefits of $0.81 and $1.69.

Sears Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ:SHLD) reported a drop of 0.1 percent in the same store sales in the region of the United States. The sales in the Kmart stores would have risen by 2.8 percent excluding the grocery, household items and electronics. The sales in the Sears stores, on the other hand, would have risen by 1 percent excluding electronics. The same store sales in the corporate sector would have increased by 1.8 percent excluding the electronics.

The company posted an adjusted EBITDA in the range of -$275 to -$325 million in a recent SEC filing. The adjusted loss was recorded to be at $296 million- far better than the expectation of Eddie Lampert, the chief executive officer of Sears Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ:SHLD).

According to Eddie Lampert, the company is focused on providing integrated retail services to its customers through a ‘Shop your Way’ program. Sears Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ:SHLD) also plans on introducing strategies to return the company back to profitability. The CEO further said that the company has expanded its customer retail base in the recent quarter so as to drive growth in the multi-channel and online sales.

The company has not provided revenue or earnings guidance in its press release. The market experts, however, have estimated the 4Q loss to fall at $2.71 per share with total revenue of $8.89 billion.

The company is expected to form a REIT (real estate investment trust) very soon. The REIT will be leased out by the company, and it will have around 200 to 300 stores. Sears Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ:SHLD) avoided to give any details regarding the REIT in its recent press conference.

Coming to the stock prices of Sears Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ:SHLD), the company, on the last trading day of December 04, 2014, started its stocks at a price of $35.01 and closed at a price of $32.75, after hitting the highest price of $35.24.