March Retail Gain Brings Little Relief to Stores

For companies such as Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. and Family Dollar Stores Inc., a rebound in March retail sales may prove too little late.

While the Commerce Department yesterday said retail sales gained 1.1 percent last month, Moody’s cut its forecast for 2014 sales, saying that March’s results will give little comfort to companies whose sales were crimped by frigid temperatures in January and February. And even as spending thawed last month, analysts continued to slash estimates for retailers’ first-quarter profits.